Creativity is just as much an emotional process as it is a cognitive one. Creativity isn’t just WHAT you’re thinking, it’s HOW you’re thinking. The emotional state that you’re in when you create powerfully influences your process, which, of course, determines your outcome. 

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Being a stand-up comedian made this really easy for me to notice. I’m not paid to write comedy. Nobody cares if I spend 8 hours a day writing new jokes to tell on stage or if I go on stage and improvise everything I say on the spot. It doesn’t matter to the audience, because the audience will never know. Your audience only gets to consume the product of your work. Your process is your own. 

Whenever I sit down to write comedy, whether its for myself or for a coaching client, I always get myself into the right mood first, which, for me, is a playfully curious mood. When I sit down in a playfully curious mood, great stuff happens. When I sit down in a serious, I end up with little more than frustration. 

My comedy knowledge or writing skills don’t change depending on my mood. Nor does my motivation. What does change is how I respond to my own thoughts.

Your emotional state changes how your brain acts and reacts. It’s like changing the default settings in your brain. When you’re in a positive mood, your default setting is to interpret things as positive. A negative mood makes you more critical of yourself and others. It’s not that you’re TRYING to do this. Mood determines your default response. 

While you’re creating today, think about what default response you want to have. What’s your sweet spot? Keep in mind that it can change over time. Curiosity works great early on while you’re dreaming up ideas, but curiosity makes it really hard to find closure and make decisions. Instead of allowing your work to influence your mood, decide what mood would be best for each task, then work on cultivating that mood.

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