THE RHYTHM OF YOUR CREATIVE LIFE
The creative life can be a lonely one.
Unlike many other types of work, its process is non-linear, intangible, unpredictable and in one word, messy.
We ought to find a way to steady ourselves in this complex, fast-moving and at times nauseating journey.
Every day, the intense and gifted souls are confronted with existential angst- restlessness, sense of urgency, overwhelming responsibilities from inside and out.
There is so much that you want to do, so much that you can do, so much that you are placed to do.
Your competence attracts expectations.
Your morals translate into high standards.
And your multiple passions tug you in a million directions.
But you ought to learn that both pain and joy come from the process of discerning.
A blank canvas is intimidating because you are now accountable for what goes on it.
With each mark you make, you take up a space that will no longer be blank.
As you choose black, you have given up on red, blue, and yellow.
As you are creating beauty, you are simultaneously forgoing possibilities.
That is why sometimes it is so painful, so difficult, even paralysing
Yes, being gifted means you have high abilities, but that comes with specific needs that if ignored, will create physical and mental illness.
If you fail to respect your own need for solitude, reflection, agency, and autonomy, you may shame yourself for being different, for not being able to conform.Being able to honour your authenticity is essential to growth and wellbeing.
Your ability to combine deep feelings with an active intellectual mind makes you capable of making a powerful and impactful contribution the world needs. Your natural tendency is to give, to love, and to share.
Expressing yourself is a birthright.
When you are not aligned with your sense of purpose, and if your creativity is being stifled by your need to shrink and hide, you would end up feeling sick, stagnated, empty, and resentful. The frozenness inside you keep you feeling empty and numb, as if life is going pass by without you living it. And that really hurts.
For the intense and gifted souls, this life itself is a creative process.
Sometimes you wish you were less capable, less excitable, less passionate. You wish you see less, care less, are more single- minded.
Sometimes you wish life was simple.
But you don’t really.
For there is only one you. In this world, at this time, experiencing the life force, the beauty, and the vitality that makes up you.
You have no choice but to honour that.
It is messy,
But it is a glorious catastrophe.
“I beg you, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
THIS WEEK’S EXPERIMENT: SENTENCE COMPLETION
Do not overthink this, but in an intuitive way, quickly complete the following sentences.
Try to come up with at least five answers to each.
To me, creativity is…
In my wildest dream, I hope to have…
The good thing about putting off my dream is…
The scary thing about committing to a project is…
When I find myself procrastinating, I…
I feel the most productive when…
If I give myself the permission to be imperfect, I will…
If time and money are not a concern, I will…
Review your statements, and choose one that evokes the strongest feelings in you.
Then, see if you can create a visual response— pick a photo, draw an image, collect some objects— to your chosen statement.