Creative process.

Just curious because this is always an interesting discussion to me, haha. If you do something creative...how does it come about? What do you do? Where do you work?

I write...just about anywhere. Preferably with some music in the background, NOT the TV (hint hint, mother-in-law...). It's funny because I always say I don't actually write anything, it writes itself, because it really does. My characters sit in my head and scream at me if I do something they don't like xD

Makes it interesting because when I start reading parts of my book that I
haven't proofread or anything, it's like I'm reading a whole new story
even though I'm the one who wrote it.

I also have to hand write and use the thin BIC mechanical pencils...I have no idea why, but I always have...if I don't have one of those pencils I can't write anything. I have like 100 of them around the house, in my purse, bags, car, work, etc.

So, what do you guys do? Writing, music, art, whatever -- how does it happen?

Haha! Yes, yes they do as a matter of fact

I do that too. I had the ending of my book before I even had any clue what the book was about or who any of the characters were...just lots of shouting going on.

Im so uncreative i couldnt think of a funny thing to say about my uncreativeness. :l

I don't think anyone alive is completely uncreative. I just think that you probably do something that isn't considered traditionally creative and wouldn't even think of it as creative, but I bet it is

I remember in 4th grade i would write completely, ridiculous and immature stories and we had a substitute one day and i got yelled at

Most stuff I just hold in my head until I have a chance to scribble it out somewhere, although I do try to carry a little notebook with me most places.

Although I've been doing some digital painting recently, traditionally I'm just a doodler - with all manner of biros (only black or red ink, though) and technical drawing pens to hand (only black ink).

However, (conveniently sized notebook aside) I always work in the same Daler-Rowney sketchbooks - I have loads of them around the place. Some dedicated to certain projects, some just for random stuff. Some are even full.

Also, if I'm breaking out the pencil, it absolutely has to be my .5mm Steadler mechanical - I just can't work with anything else. Dunno what I'd do if I lost it.....

As far as inspiration and ideas.....I've found that these can just sprout from anywhere, and often with no discernible reason or order. I just go with it. I often come back to stuff I started aaaages ago - suddenly thinking of the perfect way to take a project forward that I've not thought of in months.

I write music, but I haven't written a song in years(3). I find that the more I play the more thoughts that come to me, but it always comes in spurts. It always starts like this: I'll be learning a song and I come across a chc sinord voicing (fingering since I play guitar), or a idea I like, I then I take that idea as far as I can. Example: I was playing Fuel's "hemorrhage", the lyric riff is a Bm chord with moving bassline (B-A-G). I had a riff I was kicking around using a syncopated rhythm to bounce between a barred Bm (on the 2nd fret) and a F#m7 chord (also on the second fret) getting frustrated I started playing some songs to relax, played the Fuel riff, and an idea came to move the bassline, of course I had come up with ridiculous fingerings (and alot of left hand strength) to maintain the Bm-F#mj7 rhythm (and a the barre, needed) but once I got it the song wrote itself.


Usually once I get going I need everything off, or I lose what I'm think off.

I had a really long response and then my internet crashed when I clicked send...
So now you guys get the shortened version.

Due to...personal projects currently in the works~ I lean towards a old folktale style storytelling these days so I wander around aimlessly in my small town taking pictures of points of interest that would make good stories aka gravestones, weird trees, cool water ripples, old buildings, etc. Sometimes the spot will interest me enough that I'll just start narrating the story off the top of my head on what took place at the image or what the image is and the like. That is how I came up with "The Dragon's Cave" which I posted in the original short story thread but who knows if it got noticed.

On a crazier note... I'm known to have eccentric fits as I walk around in circles babbling to myself and the characters in my head. If I'm working on a story it's more like directing the story in my head and trying to get the characters to do a scene right the first time so I don't have to skip lunch...

If I am still in the brain storming Idea...I have a set...character staff I banter with. That's where the original Mr. E of Hat came from. Then there is the Professor! For... personal project purposes, it is important I get the characters out of my head. Prof. Proto(Prototype) was the accidental first in a structure experiment... but he still gives good advice. He runs my basement studio at the moment... thats what he gets for talking back... that and I never bothered finishing him even tho I promised to at least finish attaching his face...OH WELL~!

So yeah... I'm not crazy....

The Professor~