All the Pretty Little Horses

"I and the Village"
by
Marc Chagall 1911

So the time-honored wisdom of babes has taught me one good lesson. That is to stick with what works. My young daughter does not like her naps. So when little Miss Cranky Pants has budgeted a little too much time for fussing, I know that it is time to take her upstairs, dim the lights and hum softly till she goes to sleep. This works great, except that I love to sing. I love a variety of songs even the ones I make up as I go. But she will have none of it, Brahms, not “Rockabye”, not even “Golden Slumbers” The only one that works for her is “All the Pretty Little Horses” and only when I hum. No singing, no extra verses and no sour notes. 
So I sit there, and over and over again, …when you wake you will find all the pretty little horse. And it got me to thinking that this is what works in many situations. We all have our favorite restaurants, our repeat vacation spots, even our go to verbiage for our marketing content. (Read through your work, I am sure you will find a pattern.) Which brings me around to creativity. Is this repetitiveness indicative of a stifled or stunted creativity? Or is it a tool we can use to free us up our higher minds for something greater? It is said that Einstein had a closet full of nothing but brown suits, the same outfit for every day of the week.

He said that it was to simplify his morning routine, he need not occupy his mind with the chore of pick out what to wear he simply picked the next clean one and this freed his mind to think about other things. So, are we thinking 2,3,4 moves ahead while we write that redundant line of text? Are we more creative? Or are we just being driven like cattle through the Starbucks line and ordering the same old thing because we can think of nothing else to get?

So I stick with what works and give the people what they want. But I try to do it will a level of authenticity that allows me to be, if not like Einstein, at least a little be clever.

Here is a little light music while you ponder.