We were lucky to catch up with Kristina Libby recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kristina , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
For a long time, I used to say I’m creative, but I’m not like a CREATIVE. I thought of creatives in all caps as people whose job title included the word creative, or artist, maybe writer. And I was intimidated by what I perceived to be their superior creativity. They wore bolder clothes than me, knew every emerging musician, and could talk about abstract theories of art. In comparison I was a lot more entrepreneurial, science-y, and focused on business. In time, though, and mostly through exposure to more and more creative people, I’ve come to learn that the way to grow that creativity and switch from creative to CREATIVE is merely exposure. Those cooler people were spending more time than me digging into the creative things they enjoyed.
Now, I seek out activities, ideas and people who spark my creative self.
For me, a lot of that is surrounding myself with idea people. Just today I was speaking with my friend Kenneth about memory and experiences and he recommended I read The Memory Thief. Talking to him sparked me to wonder about whether you’ve had a experience if you don’t remember it but someone else does––– something I experienced a lot a few years ago when I had a brain injury. Anyway, that’s something I’m going to noodle on.
The same can be true for traveling somewhere new. Last summer I happened upon the house of a famed arctic explorer and now find myself writing a screenplay about him. And, just last year, I was so fascinated by people who paint wall murals for the company Colossal that I wrote a novel about it.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Right now, I’m mostly writing.
I have a novel out on submission to publishers that is about how we find our creative purpose but that message is hidden within a story about con artists, poker players, and a mysterious set of murals that appear around New York City. And, I’m working on another novel that is about what it means to go home when your home is a complicated place. But, that is hidden within a story about a woman who must uncover an ancient treasure in the hope of saving her father’s life. I guess they are both my efforts to understand myself and the world around me– why else does anyone write really?
Beyond that, I have a few tv pilots that have been winning awards and I hope will be bought this year, a screenplay I’m working on about a polar explorer who ends up having to eat his crew, and as always paintings when I have time. Then when there is still time after that Tim Cahill and I write humor pieces that we are lucky to have placed in funny places around the internet–- most notably the New Yorker.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Trust your gut. If you think “hey I might want to XXX,” try whatever XXX is. Just do it. I recently decided I was just going to really share myself on social media and I’m having a blast. I know people have so many thoughts about social but for me it’s a really nice chance to just share who I am and see who wants to connect.
Get loud. Viola Davis shared an instagram post that talked about doing what you’re doing LOUDLY and I love that. Being loud gets you opportunities. You are the biggest advocate for your art.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.
It’s a YA book that showed a strong girl going out to take on her own destiny. It gave me a childhood hero who didn’t want babies and marriage and would go to whole worlds for the things she felt was right. I’ve always wanted to explore more than I’ve wanted to stay home. I think I really felt seen.
Contact Info:
- Website:www.kristinalibby.com
- Instagram: @lightvslight
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kristinalibby
Image Credits
Erica Reade Images
