Can Creatives Benefit from Cross Training?

Or how drawing made me a better writer

Kickstart Thursdays

I know what you’re thinking.

Focus, buddy. You just need to focus. Do one thing. Keep doing that one thing, and you’ll miraculously get better.

It’s inevitable.
It’s a law.
It’s true.

But what about the runner who weight trains or the basketball player who studies ballet? By working opposing muscles, the athlete’s game improves.

Could the same type of cross training benefit creatives? The painter? The writer? The composer? The chef? The gardener?

I follow a lot of fantastic creatives on social media. Recently I discovered Struthless! Last week, I watched his video about doing one thing. I literally stopped in my tracks to watch the whole YouTube. I mean… I was walking up a flight of stairs and I stopped. My left foot on one tread, my right foot on the next one up.

I stood transfixed for almost ten minutes.

I know what you’re thinking. ‘Silly goose. Why didn’t you pause the video, finish your ascent, and find a nice comfy chair?’

Because…I was captivated by the message of the video. And by his delivery. He’s brilliant. Engaging and entertaining.

Each one of Struthless’ videos is about ten minutes long. Each one focuses on creativity. Each one includes the wise words of this Australian lad talking straight into the camera with that wonderful lilting Aussie accent.

Each video also includes snappy animations, video clips, and stills. A little music, a little fanciness, and a lot of INSPIRATION.

I didn’t expect to be so immediately engaged by Struthless’ video. If I had anticipated this fact, I would have waited to log on until I had made my cup of Bigelow’s Peppermint Bark herbal tea, slipped off my boots, put on my slippers, arranged my lap quilt, and summoned my cat Hamish.

But that’s the way it goes sometimes.

Sometimes, you just happen upon something and suddenly… you’re swept away — like a riptide that pulls you under the water and out to sea.

Okay, I did check the length of the video. I didn’t want my imbalanced stance to cause permanent damage to my spine. But when I confirmed that it was ten minutes and six seconds, I remained transfixed and immobile.

Campbell Walker (that’s his real name) shared that Marc Schattner, his boss at the time, gave him the best drawing advice that ‘changing his life.’ Do one thing. Walker spent the following year drawing bin-chickens. And the rest is history. Singular focus served him well. Struthless has 259K subscribers and millions of views on YouTube.

On the other hand, there’s Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame.

Savage responded to a query about his own generalistic tendencies. “Do ever lament that you’re a generalist when it comes to your maker skills,” a Patreon supporter asked, “Instead of devoting all your mind and resources to becoming a master in one particular thing?”

Savage said, “Yes, sort of… Absolutely… but…” … “I love gathering skills.”

“A taxonomy of solutions.” Isn’t that a cool phrase?

“My skill is that I’m a generalist,” Savage confirmed.

Who else falls into this category?

Jon Favreau? George Plimton? Thomas Edison? Walt Disney?

Michael, in an article titled ‘Cross training in the arts. Not just for athletes anymore’ wrote, “I’m finding, as I continue my creative journey, that embarking on pursuits outside those which I’m most interested in pursuing actually helps me perform better. As a photographer, it is helpful to read and spend time writing because these things help me understand story better and results in a more interesting composition to my photos.”

Cross training in the arts could also means reading as a writer and visiting museum as a painter or going to a horticultural demonstration as a gardener or florist.

But might it be even more beneficial for a water to visit a museum and attend a workshop on bonsai. Or for the gardener to write a blog and the painter to listen to music.

The difference as I see it is those who are making. And here is where Walker’s mentor, Marc Schattner, may disagree. Those who produce art, those who write, compose, cook and bake, plant and hoe, and paint sometimes need the distraction of dabbling, doodling. Even diving in deeper and gaining expertise.

For me, it’s all about alignment. As long as everything that I do aligns with my life’s mission to inspire others to do their art, then I’m content. That feels like my single-minded goal and purpose.

Right or wrong, I know that I’m not going to be happy without the constant stimulation in this type of cross training of artistic genre.

I write about 2,500 words almost every day. I draw on my iPad almost every night. I wonder if I should spend the evening drawing time editing, or revising, but the cross training feels great.

It’s not that I want to be an amazing illustrator. It’s more that I want a sense of accomplishment.

Maybe the best advice is like so many things: MODERATION. When dieting, it’s okay to indulge once in a while. Otherwise, we feel deprived and then we go off the rails and revert back to old habits. In athletic cross training, moderation provides balance. Working alternate muscles insures stability.

Cross training in the arts enhances our perceptions and heightens our awareness. And it makes life more interesting and enlightened.

What opposing forces do you practice? Are they really different? Or are they complementary. Cross training

Stockwell coaches creatives to do their art. More information at www.doyourart.org