Jumping off the Creative Cliff: The Power of Imagination and Taking Risks

​If I told you that you could jump off of a thousand-foot cliff and live, you would probably be skeptical. You might even scoff and say, "No way! Impossible!" However, what you are forgetting is that there are two important laws of imagination that make anything possible.

Wilbur and Orville Wright making the world's first hour-long flight at Fort Myer, Va., in 1907. Getty Images

1.     Imagination is governed by no rules or laws, either physical or civil. That means your imagination is not constrained by what is considered proper or lawful. No one can see inside your thoughts but you. Nor does it have any limits based upon what is considered reality. Your imagination is not bounded by gravity, cellular properties or mathematical laws, or anything logical at all.

2.     Imagination comes from a place of unlimited energy and capacity. That's right, there are practically no limits to imagination. Here we are as finite beings, but we have the capacity for near limitless thinking. From bizarre or zany ideas to logical and analytical thoughts, our minds can expand to a place where all things are possible.

So of course you can jump off of a giant cliff and live, and I don't just mean in your imagination. I am referring to the fact that you just have to apply a little imagination and creativity to the effort. This is how all things have been achieved by mankind. Every time mankind has been faced with a problem, even an impossible sounding problem, it has been solved by first applying imagination and then creativity (the labor of imagination). So, imagine yourself jumping off of a cliff and slowly floating to the ground. Now figure out a way to make that happen. Here are some ideas: a parachute, a hang glider, a bungee cord, etc. The Wright Brothers used their imagination and figured out just this problem. IT JUST TAKES IMAGINATION!

So what does this mean for you? It means that you should not be deterred by what others may immediately dismiss as impossible or unrealistic. If you have a big idea, go for it. Figure out how to make it work. You might have to be innovative, persistent, and daring, but don't give up. Trust yourself, trust the process, and trust your imagination. You can do it!

Artists know this secret. They know that all things are possible, and all that we have now, was once only imagined. When you work creatively, you learn to trust the process. For example, in the process of making a painting, the artist moves from a pristine white canvas that is still and ordered. There is nothing more logical or precise as that rectangular white structure. However, as the artist begins to paint, the canvas quickly becomes disordered and chaotic. There is always that moment when the artist wonders if it will be possible to pull it all together. There are drips and messy areas, as well as colors that don't work well together, and the whole thing seems a disaster. Fortunately, over time, the image begins to resolve itself and to grow into something that is once again ordered and clear. This is the best part about being a painter, the utter satisfaction that comes from bringing that image back to a balanced and delightful work of art. You have to let your creative self out of the box!
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To be a painter, you must be absolutely brave. At times, you have to attack your canvas with the courage of knowing that the process will work. In other words, you must jump off a cliff and hope for the best. But this message is not just for artists. All imaginative projects go through a period of seeming to be impossible or beyond the creator's abilities. There is always doubt, and there will also always be critics holding you back. However, with perseverance and imagination, all things can be achieved.

A painting of Sedona, Arizona in Bruce Black's art studio. Phoenix, AZ.

Bruce Black is an artist and teacher.  You can find his paintings at www.bruceblackart.com.

You may also like this article on the Principles of Design for Artists.