July 28, 2010

I received a lot of email about “Obsessed? Absolutely” based on Brainstorm by Eric Maisel. I want to write more about it this week, plus the 30-day “Creative Obsession Challenge” I’m planning with a writer friend in August.

I also want to clarify that this obsessing is more than just heavily thinking about something; it’s about turning that obsession brainstorm into actually creating.

From Thinking to Writing

I’m 2/3 of the way through Maisel’s book, which I am finding intriguing. We all obsess about things or events or people. It seems to be the human default position. However, the idea of turning that wasted obsessing into creative obsession that moves the writing forward excites me.

I like his tips on spotting negative obsessions, as well as preventing your creative obsession from sliding into something negative. His ideas of how to work this creative obsessing time into an already full life were good and echoed many of the things we’ve discussed on this blog.

FYI

While I want to share a lot of Maisel’s ideas, my concern is that I don’t plagiarize his book here. For example, I’d like to give you his ten steps from Chapter Eleven on “Your Productive Obsession Checklist,” but I shouldn’t. You’ll need to buy his book for that.

However, a friend of mine who was involved with the research Maisel did for Brainstorm sent me a link to a lengthy interview with the author. This gives a good overview of the book and its ideas. I hope you’ll read it.

To whet your appetite for exploring this “creative obsession” idea on your own, I will quote from some of the people who took his 30-Day Challenge.  There were many ups and downs throughout the month as people bit into their creative obsessions and held on for the ride. But reading their final reports made me say, “I want that too!”

Productive Changes

For example, at the end of the month of “creatively obsessing,” here’s what some people were saying:

• Jerry: The thing that surprised me the most was how happy I have been this month…It made me realize that I’m the one who makes up the rules that I live by, so it helped me break out of some old habits.
• Alice: I recognized the difference between my negative obsessive thoughts and my productive obsessive thoughts. The negative thoughts just walk circles in my head, and nothing else happens…The productive obsessive thoughts push me into motion. They excite and energize me.
• Marissa: I was suprised that I could keep obsessing in spite of interruptions and day job busyness…I don’t have to lose it whenever life throws in a monkey wrench and then find it all over again.
• John: I am no longer rushing yet am getting infinitely more done.

I hope those statements (by formerly frustrated, blocked, anxious writers and artists) inspire you to look into creatively obsessing. Start by reading the author’s interview on the subject.

Does this subject intrigue you? Does it sound like something you’d also like to try for 30 days? Give it some thought!

2 Comments »

1. 

   MY POST WARRANTS USING ALL CAPS. WOW!!! I JUST READ THE INTERVIEW AND ALSO THE EXCERPT (LINK ON PAGE TWO OF INTERVIEW)! IT’S JUST THE BOOST I NEEDED TO GET BUSY RIGHT NOW! I LAUGHED. I SAT UP STRAIGHT. I GOT CHILLS UP AND DOWN MY SPINE AND ALL OVER MY ARMS. MY EYES EVEN WATERED FROM EXCITEMENT. I AM OFFICIALLY NEUROTIC, BECAUSE I HAVE FELT THE EFFECTS OF MY OWN BRAINSTORMS IN THE PAST AND I AM NOW FIRED UP TO CREATE SOME MORE LIGHTNING. I NEED TO QUIT BEING LACKADAISICAL AND QUIT “THINKING AND PLANNING” (ALTHOUGH ALSO IMPORTANT), BUT TO ACTUALLY START DOING!

   Okay, enough with the caps. When I buy the book, my main goal will probably be how to control the energy because when I start obsessing, it’s hard to turn it off. And I tend to put it on a pedestal above my regular life, which I suppose is one of the “danger signs.” Maybe I just need to tone it down a notch, or at least learn how to harness and control the power in all those neurons. I need to learn how to be a snow globe and let the passion settle and be able to shake it back up daily. Also, to focus on one obsession at a time will be a challenge.

   I’m anxious to see what else comes of this topic in all your posts. Thanks for sharing the inspiration.

   Comment by Christie Wright Wild — July 29, 2010 @ 1:08 pm

2. 

   Christie, this has to be the most enthusiastic response to a post I’ve ever received. I’m glad it struck a chord with you.

   You’ll like Chap. 26 when you get the book–it’s called “Turning Your Productive Obsession Off.” He says “your goal isn’t to rev yourself up into a clinical mania, forget to pay the rent, ignore your loved ones,etc.” Not to fear! And for the rest of us, he has a chapter on how to turn the productive obsession back on!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — July 29, 2010 @ 5:29 pm

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