On Monday, I wrote the introduction to this series on creativity, and it came out rather longer than I had originally anticipated. Hey, it’s a topic I’m passionate about. (Further proof of this, if you need it, is that I originally was going to present 12 Keys. But I kept thinking of more that are vital.) To read the intro first, click here. To read the Three-Fold Writer’s Path, in which I detail how creativity fits into overall scheme of the writing world, click here. And now, ta-da, the first three keys:

1. Be A Beginner.

The Zen Buddhists talk a lot about beginner’s mind. I am a buddhism slacker, but this concept is called Shoshin, and it is a good one. The idea of it is to be eager. Be open. Don’t have expectations. Don’t think, do. Have a sense of wonder. This is an especially vital key for the professional, who may develop a mind-set that everything he does must be perfect the first time out. Banish those thoughts. A beginner wouldn’t expect to be perfect. Nor should you—no matter where you fall on the beginner to expert scale.

2. There Are No Rules (but make some for yourself if it makes you feel better).

Who says you can’t write a novel in 100 viewpoints? The result may not work, and it may not be particularly publishable, but it might lead to something that is. Forget everything you know about the rules (see #1) and just go for it. See what happens. Sometimes this key is a bit much for people. The lack of rules is scary. So make some up for yourself–like, every sentence must start with a word that is capitalized. There, does that make you feel better?

3. Do It Badly.

The idea that everything has to be perfect is a huge creativity killer. So, go for the opposite. Write one bad page. Draw one crappy sketch. Sing a song off-key. The world didn’t stop, did it? And go back and take a look at that dreadful page you just wrote. Hmmm, might you not be able to use that first sentence? With a few changes, does the third paragraph work fairly well for the opening? I thought so. Writing badly is an entry point into your work. Put something, anything, down on the page. Then you have words to work with. And that is a wonderful thing.

Okay, those are the first three keys. I’ll have the next three for you on Friday. See you then–and if anyone has any tips or thoughts about creativity, feel free to share.