Creative geniuses can often be a bit, well, quirky, to say the least.  They wouldn’t make the impact they do without a few oddball qualities.  As you go forward on your own quest to geniusdom, why not try out a few quirks that are tried and tested by the smartest people out there?  Here are a some bits of wisdom from the best and brightest…

ALLOW YOUR CREATIVE PURSUITS TO COMPLIMENT YOUR DAY JOB

Novelist Joseph Heller actually wrote Catch-22 in the evenings after coming home from his day job as an advertising executive.  He enjoyed his job and writing novels at night gave him a chance to do something completely different in his off-hours.  Even after he quit his advertising job, he still usually only wrote for 2-3 hours a day.  Sometimes a short time block can be best medicine for just getting something done.

You can implement this tip too.  Set aside time for yourself to pursue your creative passions and you’ll likely be happier in the long run.  Just schedule a few hours each week to be completely focused on that creative passion, whether it be writing, painting, cooking, curling, whatever that may be!

DON'T BE AFRAID TO CRY

Steve Jobs was actually a frequent crier, as Walter Isaccson writes in his biography of the Apple founder.  Jobs cried when he didn’t get his way on a design element or corporate organization change, and he cried happy tears when he encountered “purity of spirit.”  Those happy tears apparently flowed when he read the copy for the Apple “Think Different” ad.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwXdGm89Tk&w=420&h=315]

You don’t have to cry when you don’t get your way, necessarily, but Jobs does teach us that it’s OK to show emotion.  We’re all human, after all, and letting someone else know how truly passionate you are can often be a key to success.

REFRESH YOURSELF

When you hear “refresh yourself”, you might be thinking of a nice long vacation or some time on the beach.  Beethoven, however, literally refreshed his body and mind by splashing himself with water, pacing back and forth, and then, rinse, repeat.  You get the point.  It might have seemed a little nuts, but it kept him on his toes.

You don’t have to anger your entire office by creating puddles all over the place, but it can make sense to give yourself a breath of fresh air when you can, to wake up the mind and keep your thoughts flowing.

JUST LET IT ALL GO

When we think of Beyonce, we certainly don’t think of “letting yourself go”, but the superstar actually stays sane by walking around barefoot and not combing her hair.  Sometimes, relaxation is the best way to stay sane and not having a care about the world around us can be just the ticket.

Once in awhile, relax a bit, don’t care about what others think of you and take some time to do what makes you happy, whatever that may be.

GET A SUGAR RUSH

Just so you don’t think every ritual is about peacefulness and health, before director David Lynch became a proponent of Transcendental Meditation, he followed the transcendental sugar rush method.

“For seven years I ate at Bob’s Big Boy. I would go at 2:30, after the lunch rush. I ate a chocolate shake and four, five, six, seven cups of coffee—with lots of sugar. And there’s lots of sugar in that chocolate shake. It’s a thick shake. In a silver goblet. I would get a rush from all this sugar, and I would get so many ideas! I would write them on these napkins.”

So, there’s always that, the good old-fashioned sugar high.  It’s likely not as healthy as meditation, but if you need a quick burst of energy, sugar is where it’s at.

KEEP (ABSOLUTELY) EVERYTHING

Painter Andy Warhol was kind of  a hoarder.  And by kind of, we mean completely.  He kept airline tickets, pizza boxes, newspapers, stamps, cookie jars.  Perhaps it was because he got inspiration from anything, or maybe it was because he didn’t want to waste time cleaning up or keeping things in order.

You don’t have to be a packrat if it’s not your thing, but it can make sense to keep your environment, whether it be your home or office, the way that makes you the most comfortable and is most inspiring to you.

FORGET ABOUT SLEEP

OK, that’s probably not a great idea.  But, Leonardo da Vinci was known to not sleep more than 2 hours a day.  He practiced polyphasic sleep which means taking multiple naps within a 24 hour period.  This practice allowed him to keep going on a minute detail when he needed to and not be distracted by that silly old thing we call sleep.

It’s probably not a great idea for most human beings to forget about sleep, but it can make sense to find a good schedule that works for you and allows you to apply your talents at the times when you’re most alert and focused.

EAT APPLES IN THE BATHTUB

Sure, that might sound really weird.  (And we’re not suggesting you actually need to do that).  Agatha Christie munched on apples in the tub while brainstorming her murder plots for her novels.  Maya Angelou writes on a perfectly made-up bed with a bottle of sherry, a dictionary, a thesaurus, yellow pads, an ashtray and a Bible.  Many creative geniuses find what works and then stick with it.

If a particular quirk happens to give you brain fuel, go with it.  Famous authors certainly had no problem doing the same.

MAKE A LIST, AND CHECK IT TWICE

Billionaire businessman Richard Branson literally can’t function without lists.  He constantly writes things down, checks his list and adds to it.  He doesn’t need technology or a fancy app for this, he simply uses a regular notebook and writes down people he needs to call, ideas that come to him, people that can make things happen.  He even keeps the old notebooks and looks through them from time to time to see if there’s some brilliant idea worth reviving.

Sometimes, the use of some good old-fashioned paper can be the best trick to staying on top of your brilliant epiphanies.  Keep a notebook next to your bed, in your pocket or in a bag to ensure you’re never saying to yourself, who was that person I need to follow up with again??!!

WHAT'S YOUR QUIRK?!

So, you want to reach your fill genius potential?  Apples in the bathtub, more than 1 chocolate shake, or making copious lists...find your quirk and stick with it.  As you’ve learned, there’s no quirk too weird for the geniuses throughout history.