The Ten Commandments of Creativity

From composing music for TV and videogames to screenwriting/TV writing, producing, on-camera hosting, voice overs as well as penning and publishing books, I have been fortunate to have earned a living doing creative stuff my entire adult life. One thing I learned long ago was that you can strengthen your natural gifts of creativity with constant use and practice the same way an athlete gets stronger with exercise. A couple years ago I started this list as a reminder to myself how to mentally approach the game of being and staying creative. Today, I thought it was time to share it with you.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF CREATIVITY

Define your art. Don't let your art define you.
Slide head first. Commit and give it everything you got.
Sometimes the greatest achievements are accomplished by those who are not smart enough to know what is impossible.
The obstacles in your life do not prevent you from living your life. The obstacles in your life are your life.
Accolades are motivational annuities you cash in when life has you down.
An artist is someone who lives in a world of their own making. A businessman is someone who can make people pay to be part of a world. In order to succeed creatively, you need to do both well.
Enlightenment comes from stripping away the mental manacles holding you back and focusing deeply on something new that feels right in your heart and mind.
No detail is too small, but recognize when you've obsessed too long over the small stuff.
If someone tells you they absolutely hate your work, you're most likely doing something right to evoke that strong of a response.
And finally…. Never ever, ever give up, ever.

What do you think? Do you have any self-motivating axioms that you use to stay focused and creative? Hmmmm… maybe The Ten Commandments of Creativity will be the sequel to my previous book on creative focus: Go Forth and Kick Some Ass