Dr. Michael R. MacDonald
You would be hard-pressed to find a group more creative than Cirque Du Soleil (Circus of the Sun).
They have excelled at storytelling, acrobatics, costuming and original music, to name just a few of their talents. Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix started as street performers and built a multi-billion dollar international company, unlike anything before.
I am a big fan of Cirque du Soleil and have seen many of their incredible shows. They have been around for a while now, but I never tire of being surprised and inspired. And I am certain we can learn some things from their creative approach.
I am not recommending acrobatics as a new skill to learn. But, even a brief exposure to their shows (or online videos) can demonstrate our possibilities – even some creative potential we have hidden inside of us.
Creativity doesn’t have to come in the form of performances, writing or projects. It can come, first as an attitude, then as a way of life. This is one of the deep messages you will see in the video below, by Michael Laprise, writer and show director at Cirque Du Soleil.
I recently watched this video again. It really hit home with me.
Laprise doesn’t just work at Cirque du Soleil, he lives the life – of pure creativity.
Step inside Michel Laprise’s creative universe and discover his passion for creation and for constantly challenging the creative status quo. Covering a wide range of themes such as creativity, artistry and leadership, this original series showcases Cirque du Soleil creators and artists as they open up and share their passion, experiences and learnings.
Take a step behind the curtain into a world where creativity nourishes freely.”
Unleash Your Own Pure Creativity
Here are some ideas from this video that you can use for your own creative projects or even for a more creative daily life.
Learn to experiment with small creative risks. In this video, Laprise explains how to create a circle of safe creativity where you and your supporters (or creative team) can learn, create and grow. The key is safety with the support and encouragement of others.
Create a culture of experimentation. Surround yourself with people who are not afraid to make mistakes, people who are not afraid to act. And then celebrate this culture with them.
Build an environment of amplification. Be a cheerleader of others’ ideas to encourage them to express their ideas and contributions more freely. When each person grows and contributes, we all win. And create more quality in the process.
Demonstrate a generosity of spirit to your creative team. You can lead by example, thereby allowing them to be more generous and positive in their support of each other. Use generosity to accelerate your creative process and outcomes.
Learn how to explain your ideas to diverse groups. Learn to simplify and illustrate your messages and stories in a variety of ways. The real benefit will be a greater clarification of your ideas to yourself. As an example, Laprise explained how he benefited from figuring out how to tell stories to a Chinese audience for their show in Macau.
This reminds me of a principle I learned back in grad school and one that I have never forgotten. It came from Tom Jackson, who was speaking about his new book at the time, Guerilla Tactics in the Job Market (1983).
He said, “Real communication is taking responsibility for how your message is heard.” Wow, I still love this way of looking at the world. The many great ideas from his book helped shape the course of my career.
Learn to communicate your ideas to people who know little about your subject area or your project. Practice doing this over and over. Each time you do this your ideas will become clearer to you. You will learn to strip out the jargon and get to the essence.
Allow yourself to get emotionally invested in your projects. Your emotions and intuition can work as a creative guide. You can let yourself be led by curiosity and inspiration at a deeper level than just logic and planning. And you will create unique outcomes that can be tested for their utility later on.
A blank page is never a blank page. Even before you start, you are bringing your history, experience, curiosity and enthusiasm to your work. Laprise argues that art is less about creating something new than it is about creating things that are authentic. Art is about bringing something real to life.
Go beyond your dread. For many artists and creative people the idea of selling can bring on a sense of dread. Laprise offers a way of reframing this feeling. He thinks the process of explaining your ideas, over and over again to people who may not be interested, may actually add to the quality of your work. Repeatedly telling your story can help simplify and clarify what it is you are trying to say. You can learn to boil it down to its essence.
Pure Creativity
Let me finish with a few quotes from Michel Laprise.
“I have no time to be afraid, I am too busy being interested.”
“Often an antidote to fear is joy.”
“Our job (at Cirque du Soleil) is to give hope and possibility.”
“Jumping into the circle of high expectations triggers your highest potential. It exposes your humanity and your heroic soul.”
“May my talent always be bigger than my ego.” I love this one. We should feel lucky to know people with such humility and humanity.
Until next time, let our warm hearts soar!
Michael
michael@aWarmHeart.ca
And thank you for caring that little bit extra – it really makes a big difference.
