Nicoleta Rădăcina, editor of the Unfinished Love platform, and confesses only towards the end of the interview that she is not a follower of creative devices, being more old school. He overcomes inspiration blocks by forcing himself to do something he doesn’t feel like doing at the time, basically allowing himself to think ahead, whatever that might be.
“I know that no one is reinventing the wheel anymore, so I try to stay connected to the fields that fascinate me and to people who have been doing things better or for longer than me or changing the boat myself or just being in the company of those with energy contagious”, says Nicoleta.
If he has something difficult to edit or rewrite a piece of text, he turns to “didactic” passages from Telling True Stories by Mark Kramer or The New New Journalism by Robert S. Boynton. For her, one of the most creative fields in recent years is gastronomy. As for ideas, he also uses the weak ones, because the fat of the good ones is later fixed on them.
Personal definition of creativity
“Creativity begins when your ass is numb on the chair and you feel like putting your feet up, but still you stay – in boredom, in doubt, in rolled eyes – until the first EVRIKA!” or so. I think that creativity is a concentrated cocktail of improbable things, which you arrive at with nerve and patience. I don’t believe in heaven-descended creativity – does anyone else? – rather in what appears after you’ve stuck your nose in paperwork and conversations with other people and taken enough breaks to get you out of your own head.
How the perspective on creativity has changed
Once with journalism. When I became a reporter and started documenting topics for long-formI understood that just as good writing (about reality) comes from asking the right questions concretely, so creativity arises when you make the right or, rather, different connections that not many have thought of before.
Now since I’ve been editor for UNFINISHED LOVE STORIES and I sit at the intersection of editorial, design, social media, PR and sound (WINK!), it’s even more clear to me that different backgrounds help creativity. I also see it in the actual editing. The most surprising voices are of people who don’t write for a living.
What does creativity depend on, as far as you are concerned?
Of a clear mind and, as far as possible, free from bias and prejudice. This helps me not to ignore bad ideas; to put them on paper and let them evolve with me. My best ideas came from building on weak first ideas.
Habits, shortcuts, recipes
I wouldn’t call them recipes, but I noticed some patterns over time. I wake up early in the morning and “stay with the uncertainty” until the world wakes up. I always take out my phone if an idea strikes me and I don’t fool myself with “I remember”. When I’m at home or in the office, I always write by hand because it connects me better to whatever project I’m trying to decipher. And if I have something difficult to edit or a piece of text to rewrite, I sometimes re-read “didactic” passages from Mark Kramer’s Telling True Stories or Robert S. Boynton’s The New New Journalism to set myself in the mood.
What came with the experience
It’s easier because I know what works for me and I’m less stubborn when it comes to accepting new, untrodden paths. I have more confidence in blindly plunging into them.
Sources of inspiration
I know no one is reinventing the wheel anymore, so I try to stay connected to the fields that fascinate me and to people who have been doing things better or for longer than me or changing the boat myself or just hanging out with those with infectious energy . For the editing work on UNFINISHED LOVE STORIES, for example, it helps me to read on Anne Helen Petersen because he writes about culture in a broad sense and always challenges my thinking, but also on Rachel Phipps of the Ingredientbecause although the main subject is food, the boundaries are porous and show us why meals often make and break relationships. Beyond that, because they both write superbly, regardless of the subject.
Courses, workshops, events to inspire you
I think everything we do influences us in one way or another, whether we choose to listen to a podcast like Modern Lovelet’s look at the Olympics or Love Island. Also, I don’t believe in good or bad sources of inspiration. I think we need to expose ourselves to as many contexts and experiences as possible to later make as many (hopefully!) unexpected connections between them as possible.
The obstacles to creativity
Internal factors, always. If I’m not well—whatever that means—there’s not going to be any creative fire burning in me. We exclude from here the wannabe-poems through which I meow to myself against the background of various sufferings.
How do you overcome obstacles?
I put my body in motion. I go for a walk, a run, to the gym or pull myself out of any comfort state I’ve sunk too deep into. Basically, I treat the blockage as a state of stress that I often get rid of by movement or self-force – to go to a play I’m not in the mood for, to cook something complex; basically putting one foot in front of the other when all I want to do is sleep.
AI, Social Media and Creativity
If you know how to use them – that is, don’t take them as little Gods who know 10 times better, but as mirror partners for the world around – I think that both social media and AI can be some welcome help . However, the EVRIKA moment comes from another source – your brain can’t be taken away by anyone.
The creative fields of recent years
Among the things I pay attention to, gastronomy, for sure. There are both efforts to delve into the past and document ancient techniques, as well as constant innovation in cultivating new varieties to build specific dishes, foraging, or even hospitality experiences in space! what is he doing Alchemist in Denmark (Chef Rasmus Munk working with Space VIP to serve a tasting menu in a space balloon) is an example.
Do you have a role model when it comes to creativity?
Just more people I admire for using theirs. From Tim Cook, who made us fall more and more in love with the Apple experience, to my colleague Capucine Gros, artistic director of UNFINISHED, who creates connections between disciplines like no one else, to David Muñoz, chef and owner diverXO, award-winning with 3 Michelin stars, and up to Sînziana Iacob, a content creator who plays with shapes, colors and illusions.
Tools that helped you
Not really, in this area they remain quite old school 🙂
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