Hey! Let’s continue that conversation we started a couple of weeks ago, shall we? The one about having a creative life while living a real life, full of commitments to things other than art? You are welcome participate in the great discussion in the comments there, and join in here too.
After reading and thinking about that initial discussion, I felt that there is something we must address first. Something that we need to get out of the way for the rest of the conversation.
Here it is: You have the right to feel what you feel.
There is no required threshold for feeling overwhelmed. There is no competition for the “Most Busy” that you need to finish in the top three in order to be allowed to feel that you don’t have enough time for creativity.
You don’t have to work a full time job, have kids at home, have health issues, have lots of commitments, etc. in order to have valid reasons for struggling with this topic.
And yet… In the discussion, I heard a lot of threads that were similar to mine. Comments where the subtext seemed to be, “I really shouldn’t feel this way…” because you are retired, or don’t have kids at home, or chose to say yes to everything on the list, or you were told by someone else you weren’t busy enough to have those feelings.
Guess what?
You have the right to feel what you feel.
I think we start here. I think we recognize we all have a unique situation we are working within. I think we have enough pressure, trying to live our best, trying to fit creativity into our lives, without the judgement and competition of others.
Before you can begin to look at the next steps of building a creative life, maybe before you can even admit that you feel overwhelmed and unhappy with how things are… You have to accept that you are allowed to.
You have the right to feel what you feel.
Let’s discuss.
There’s lots of layers to this onion…
Sometimes I think that we have an unwritten rule that if we’re not doing it for money, we shouldn’t be doing it. Where the first thing someone asks is how much can we get paid for this or that creation, rather than “how did it feel to make it?” You shouldn’t pursue photography if you’re not getting paid for your photos seems patently wrong. Where commerce is indicated, sure, but pursuing it as an amateur may have even greater benefits for a meaningful life.
So true! Creativity is more than an end — some finished product. The process is what we need in our life. When we can think of it that way, the finished product at the end, and what we do with it, becomes much less important.
so true. I have a difficult time putting a price on my Art. It is more for me and the gift of giving.
Right on! To each his own. Though we all live different lives, we must recognize that in spite of our differences, belief systems, cultures, we are ONE as humans be-ing! It is the be-ing part that seems to get tangled up in the external forces that are thrust upon us as individuals. So, JUST BE, who you are! Not what you think you should be. Nor what others think you should be. We are each created in the perfect image of our Creator. So put your own unique-ness out there, at your own pace, in your own space, and just LET IT BE! Aloha.
Lovely! Yes, despite our differences, we have similar experiences. “At your own pace, in your own space,” is a wonderful way to put it!
Beautifully said.
I think one of the key pieces is just owning your own feelings and not letting outside pressures determine what those should or should not be. I think there is an unwritten rule that we have to compare ourselves to everyone around us and “measure up” to what they are accomplishing. We allow others to determine what is of value and what is not for us. Who has the right to say that I shouldn’t feel overwhelmed? Or sad? Or mad? Being authentic…whether that is in the realm of work, family, friendships or creativity…is about just being you and accepting that…and loving yourself no matter who you are or what you choose to be.
Brava! Beautiful! Where do we pick up that requirement to compare and measure up?
That’s the ego at play, and that’s what creates that incessant yammering in your mind…that mind babble that goes on and on about useless stuff that holds you back or drags you down. The power of NOW, will decrease that mind chatter. Live in the moment! That’s truly all we have! Aloha
My mind does not stop yammering! Do this so you can do that…. Always trying to stay humble and in the moment. Ego is always with us, the trick is to not let it get to big.
good question. I fear it started with an older sibling.
Agreed. EGO. There does seem to be a problem of comparison, wanting to be accepted/admired and then the competition. To be an individual with your unique ideas/talent is a struggle. We all can fit in this world.
Giving of oneself is the surest path to personal growth.
thanks for starting this conversation. I know I need to learn to accept where I am, what I am doing, and where I want to go without comparing it to another person’s journey. Hopefully we can learn from each other without the anxiety of comparison, after all we don’t know what it took for them to achieve their goals! I remind myself to be grateful for what is, while looking forward to where I want to go.
Agreed. Acceptance and Love seem to be a good part of the answer.
The right to feel what you feel. Thank you, for that starting point. By accepting that I can’t always persue my creative yearnings. I can live creatively. I made a choice to not be frustrated about time. Time is elusive & precious. Spending time being frustrated does not work for me. I try to feel the satisfaction of living creatively by injecting beauty into my daily rounds. That said, there are plenty of blocks to push through in order to allow myself (this is where I get caught up….in the allowing) time create. I allow & need time to exercise, clean, cook, garden, love & nurture family, honor friendships, read, and try to learn new stuff that this fast paced digital world throws at us. Honestly, pursuing the daily rounds gets more support than the “me time” to create.