Creative Child
My creative work is like having my own child. It has my blood. It has my heart. It looks like me, it sounds like me. I’m very protective of it. Most artists are. Sharing your work with others can be a very difficult experience. You risk judgment and criticism when you do. I have a friend who is a photographer that gets so upset when someone says something unflattering about her pictures. Instead of defending the work she tends to doubt her own abilities. The thing is not everyone will like everything I write. Not everyone will like all the pictures my friend takes. However, if someone says something negative about your creative work it still has invoked some sort of emotion. You can take some satisfaction in knowing that people are at least taking the time to see what you are putting out there. A personal note to my photographer friend. DEFEND your work! It’s good and it’s worth it.
It’s been said that having children is forever having your heart go walking outside of your body. I think that could be said of those who produce art. We are forever going to see our perspective out in the world. No longer is in just in our mind, but its put in a place for the whole world to see. An artist knows that what they create can have great impact. It can make people think or it can show them a new way of seeing.
I guard my writing the way a mother would protect her children. I am aware that in a world of information overload your great idea can easily be taken from you. New ideas have to be protected. I have learned that you have to be very careful about sharing your work.. Writing a blog is one thing, but having your book ideas spilled out all over the internet is another. Choose your creative companions carefully. Collaborating creatively with someone is like being in a marriage. Most of the time you are committing to this person for the long haul. You have to be involved with someone who you trust completely and can be authentic with. A person with who you can be brutally honest, transparent and vulnerable. Also, someone who you can resolve conflicts with because even in the best relationships there is conflict.
Writing a blog has been somewhat easy for me. Publishing it was totally different. I now know that there are other eyes and perspectives checking it out. I stress more over what topics to write about. I’m constantly thinking will this apply to my audience? I read an article recently where a writer quit blogging because it took away from her actual book writing. It’s much easier to lay down 500 or so words about random anything and have your friends give you an immediate reaction to what you have said. It’s much harder to write to a future unknown audience. To spend day after day at the local coffee shop or night after night at home alone grinding out words.
My friend Jason asked me once about what is it that drives a person to be creative. What makes you have to do it? I’m not sure. All I know for myself is that the words flood my mind and I am not released until I get them out. It’s like a prisoner waiting to be freed. The words pace back in forth in my mind wanting to escape. That’s how it works for me. That’s how this piece came about. The sentences were so strong in my head that I had to get them out before I could move on to something else. So this is it because these words are now freed and so now am I.
It’s been said that having children is forever having your heart go walking outside of your body. I think that could be said of those who produce art. We are forever going to see our perspective out in the world. No longer is in just in our mind, but its put in a place for the whole world to see. An artist knows that what they create can have great impact. It can make people think or it can show them a new way of seeing.
I guard my writing the way a mother would protect her children. I am aware that in a world of information overload your great idea can easily be taken from you. New ideas have to be protected. I have learned that you have to be very careful about sharing your work.. Writing a blog is one thing, but having your book ideas spilled out all over the internet is another. Choose your creative companions carefully. Collaborating creatively with someone is like being in a marriage. Most of the time you are committing to this person for the long haul. You have to be involved with someone who you trust completely and can be authentic with. A person with who you can be brutally honest, transparent and vulnerable. Also, someone who you can resolve conflicts with because even in the best relationships there is conflict.
Writing a blog has been somewhat easy for me. Publishing it was totally different. I now know that there are other eyes and perspectives checking it out. I stress more over what topics to write about. I’m constantly thinking will this apply to my audience? I read an article recently where a writer quit blogging because it took away from her actual book writing. It’s much easier to lay down 500 or so words about random anything and have your friends give you an immediate reaction to what you have said. It’s much harder to write to a future unknown audience. To spend day after day at the local coffee shop or night after night at home alone grinding out words.
My friend Jason asked me once about what is it that drives a person to be creative. What makes you have to do it? I’m not sure. All I know for myself is that the words flood my mind and I am not released until I get them out. It’s like a prisoner waiting to be freed. The words pace back in forth in my mind wanting to escape. That’s how it works for me. That’s how this piece came about. The sentences were so strong in my head that I had to get them out before I could move on to something else. So this is it because these words are now freed and so now am I.
posted by Heylala | 3:21 PM
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