Red, Yellow, and Blue: A Creative Set

There’s only so much one can eat, drink, or exercise — and only so long one can do nothing. Many things that are essential or fun require hard limits — do too much of them, and they become harmful or simply drain your resources. Creativity, on the other hand, is rare in that it has no limits. The more you use your creativity, the more you want to use it. The more you use it, the greater your capacity to be creative.

Each of the functions that make us creative shares the same trait. There’s no limit to how much we can experience, observe, and wonder. Our ability to fuse things together and imagine has no boundaries. Our innate desire to play and evolve has no end.

So, while I preach that we must make every day special by having at least one creative experience, playing with three creative challenges in a row — like doing an exercise set at the gym — has an amplifying effect that lasts. And the weekend is the perfect opportunity for that.

This weekend, we are celebrating 650 creative experiences on CreativityMEDS.com, and you are invited to celebrate your creativity with us. Whether you’re on a hike, at home, alone, or with friends and family, take an hour to play this red, yellow, and blue set.

There are only two rules: let go and have fun.

Red

Many people find writing stories to be an activity reserved for the few. True, most of us are not great writers, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have stories to tell or the capacity to invent funny, sad, or intriguing tales. Sometimes, all we need is a hook. Fortunately, anything can act as one.

Our red creative experience starts with something quite random: thinking of a company with a red logo. Some choices might be obvious, but if you want to make things even more challenging, don’t go for your first or second pick.

Next, think of one of the products this company produces. This will be your hook.

Think of different aspects of that product. See it in your mind or look at the actual thing if you have one around. Try to recall an experience you had that was related to that product. Alternatively, imagine a fictional one that would be the center of your story.

Try to make the red color present in the story. Make it play a role, even be a character. Consider how it can advance the plot.

Remember, this is not a writing competition. Don’t hold back or censor yourself. Just allow yourself to imagine and record the story as you envision it.

Yellow

Our yellow challenge is focused on observation and how context can affect the subject you observe.

First, look around you for something yellow. That in itself is a great way to practice your observational skills and notice things you normally ignore.

Then, take that object and place it somewhere unexpected — somewhere where it will change its essence or interact with its surroundings in a surprising way. The stranger the location, the better.

Finally, take a photo of the yellow object in its new context. Observe the photo. Share it with others. Consider the stories unlocked by this simple intervention of relocating an object.

Blue

The last part of our creative set is an experience in its deepest sense. It’s an opportunity to slow down and observe deeply with no other purpose than to be in the moment and discover something unexpected in the ordinary.

Find a quiet place and observe the sky for at least ten minutes. Watch it changing. Watch its colors. Look for things passing by. Observe its stillness.

Let your mind wander and don’t block any thoughts that might surface. Flow with these thoughts. Be curious about them while being immersed in the endless sky above you.

Enjoy.

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Find more creative experiences in the CreativityMEDS app.