Moments of Conception 123 - The Morning Routine Scene from Wallace & Gromit

October 21, 2014 3:09 PM

All creativity begins with the moment of conception.

That little piece of kindling that gets the fire going. That initial source of inspiration that takes on a life of its own. That single note from which the entire symphony grows. That single spark of life that signals an idea’s movement value, almost screaming to us, something wants to be built here.

And so, in this blog series, I’m going to be deconstructing my favorite moments of conception from popular movies. Each post will contain a video clip from a different film, along with a series of lessons we can learn from the characters.

Today’s clip comes from the morning routine scene in Wallace and Gromit:

What can we learn?

Eliminate the
roadblocks before they even exist. Wallace may be an absent minded inventor
whose elaborate contraptions rarely work as intended, but the man understands
the value of routine. After all, he makes a living by his wits. The quality and
frequency of his thoughts determines his livelihood. He can’t afford not to create. And so, he’s built for himself
a framework of discipline, in which enthusiasm grows on its own and builds on
itself. And yet, as ridiculous as his morning routine seems to the outside
observer, it’s exactly what he needs to cultivate the optimal conditions to
make his work happen. In fact, every creator has their own version of this.
Even if it’s something as simple as wearing the same pair of boots or waking up
the same song. Ritual isn’t about size and duration, it’s about thoughtfulness
and regularity. It’s about creating a foundation of security and a ongoing
sense of safety. A bliss station where inspiration
can flow as a natural consequence of your surroundings. Because you
can’t invent your sock off until you invent a contraption for putting your
socks on. What structure might provide you with a
prepared environment for inspiration?

Free to be mentally
active. Wallace and Gromit has
been translated into over twenty languages and has a massive global following. They’ve
won dozens of awards. And due to their widespread popularity, the characters
have been described as positive international icons that have inspired a whole
new generation of innovative minds. As a kid, I never watched this show. I
don’t even remember it. But looking back, the theme is right up my alley. Because
I came from a family of artists and thinkers and entrepreneurs. In our house, encouraging
creativity was always regarded as a worthwhile endeavor. We were free to be
mentally active. We had physical space to engage in the life of the mind. And people
were constantly pushing each other to see how far they could go with their
ideas. As a result, each of us developed the empowering habit of exercising the
part of our brain that was most original. Each of us learned how to grow up,
but more importantly, how to grow into ourselves. As a creative kid, you can’t
ask for much more than that. Except maybe some cheese. Who was the first person that gave you permission to take steps toward
your own creative health?

Corral your duties
into daily routines. Wallace’s morning routine is a finely calibrated
mechanism. It’s his personal on ramp. A consistent, repeated sequence of
thoughts and actions that activates the creative subroutine in his head and
snaps him into the appropriate state of mind to start his day. The secret, of
course, is that he doesn’t have to think. Not about his clothes, not about his
food, not about anything. Gromit and his various contraptions do that work for
him. And that’s the whole point. Because nobody wants to have to wake up and
look for options of what to do first. The mind is a terrible office. Allowing
unnecessary thoughts to take up residence in your psyche, especially right as
you’re getting out of bed, is an unhealthy habit. And trying to engage your
brain at six in the morning around menial mundane decisions an exhaustive
process that wastes valuable energy that should be dedicating to making things. The goal, then, is to relieve
your brain of the necessity of remembering. To hold onto the deep grooves of holy habit. To minimize
thinking wherever possible. Even if you have to invent your own dopey
contraption for doing so. What morning routine helps you
unlocks the door to creativity?