BECOMING MRS. DOUBTFIRE
Not so long ago, there was a piece on CNN where their chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, talked about what it takes to be truly creative. He interviewed rappers, jazz musicians and stand-up comics, among others, and it turns out that what it all boils down to is, "letting go." (No surprise there, right?) And of course, it's true. If you want to create something truly new - in any medium, in any arena, in any endeavor - if you really want to "make it up" - you have to abandon self-monitoring, self-critiquing, self-consciousness, the fear of looking bad, dumb or foolish - "turn yourself off" - and "turn on" to well, the possibilities...
I call it "The Mrs. Doubtfire Method" and actually, I'm using it right now. And sometimes I probably do look dumb or foolish, but I never regret it. None of us will ever forget the hilarious film starring the late, brilliant and totally unforgettable Robin Williams (who, of course, could make something really wonderful and thoroughly delightful out of absolutely anything), in the scene where he was secretly interviewing on the phone with his estranged wife for the position of nanny to their kids. His unsuspecting wife said, "You sound absolutely perfect for the job,"Mrs...uh, Mrs...uh, oh, I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?" Williams looked momentarily stricken and then stuttered in his faux, "engaging nanny," Scottish accent, "Oh, my name?? Oh, didn't I tell you dear? Why it's uh, it's..." and then "she" looked down at a newspaper headline and saw the words, "...doubt fire..." and the rest is history...
Creativity, innovation and flat out chutzpah have never been so desperately needed - in countries, companies, families, in our lives ...as they are now. And nothing kills creativity - or gutsiness - faster than fear. The fear of "getting it wrong." But if you dump some old idea of what "getting it right" looks like - leap into the rich unknown of your imagination, trust your instincts - and go with the word, the color, the sound, the idea - that pops up...who knows what brilliance - or magic - or just plain delight - you might create?
Like dancing with a vacuum...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuqYNx8zaXM
Or doing "Twyla Tharp"...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXkApy0gkjM
So listen, if you were ever thinking about "letting it go" and "making it up" - now would be the time.
Do it for Robin...
"You're only given one little spark of madness. You musn't lose it." Robin Williams
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