Creative Blöks: Shinefools

Last time out, we encountered the cerebral, multi-armed Ponderous Complexicator, who leads you astray from your creative quest by over-analyzing and under-feeling. But there are plenty other denizens of the creative hinterlands that can derail your quest to create. Here’s number four in our series: the nearly irresistible Shinefool.

These cute and completely unrestrained fashion scavengers can drag you along in their search for newfangled inspiration.

Shinefools

Shinefools simply cannot resist the lure of tempting distractions, whether a shiny new toy or a moving object. Shinefools sport googley eyes with no eyelids, so they have trouble looking away and quickly become mesmerized by novelty and bling. Worse yet, their ball shaped torsos and long spindly legs create a high center of gravity that often causes them to slip on their own profuse drool, fall hard, and roll into each other. The clumsy collisions result in bright sparks that attract other Shinefools, like moths to a flame.

Of course, all of this frenetic activity is very distracting to humans, and creating anything coherent in this atmosphere is nearly impossible. Focus is crucial to creativity and anything that breaks your focus will devastate your productivity.

Unfortunately, like a Siren call, the Shinefool draws you in with its high-pitched cry of “Look, it’s new!” After all (you try to reason with yourself), creativity involves creating new things, novel combinations, and odd but lovely juxtapositions. So you’d be a fool not to follow those bright shiny sparks and load up on juicy new source material, right? Ha!

The problem, of course, is that creativity is far more than novelty. The new thing must achieve a goal, and that goal can’t be just that it is new. True creative inspiration requires staying put and working with what you already have. Shinefools are tempted by “outer shine” — desperately scrambling after novelty for creative inspiration, and forgetting to look for “inner light.”

The Shinefool’s effusive blubbering for the object of their obsession can become infectious; it’s best to give them a wide berth or you may find yourself trampled by a cluster of Shinefools running rapidly toward the greener grass.

You know you’ve been indulging in shinefoolery when you find yourself ordering items from infomercials or surfing design sites while thinking, “I could be more creative if I only had that…” To break the shinetrance and get back on track, ask yourself: “What was I doing?” “Why am I here?” and “What’s my objective?” A limitless unfocused search never ends, and accomplishes nothing substantial. Short circuit the desire to keep up with what’s new out there; instead, spend some time finding out what’s new “in here”. Gently refocus your intention and shine from within.