Earlier this year I wrote about the perks of being a writer.
And, I promised to write another piece to explore the downfalls.
The life of a creative can be a difficult one. The emergence of the creative self can be a struggle.
Creatives are different from the rest of the world population. We enter the world with a purpose—and that is to create.
If we aren’t creating, we are miserable. If we are struggling with the process or blocked, we are miserable. If we have thin skin and weak boundaries, we are sensitive to criticism and reviews. We face rejection more than the average Joe and this takes some getting used to. We need to level up fast!
Creatives also have to learn to deal with fanfare and followers. Even those who dream of being known in this world struggle when it actually happens, and we often feel like the weight is insurmountable. Many struggle with perfectionism, critical thoughts, and addictions, if unbalanced.
“How do these difficulties compare to those of others?” you might ask. We are feelers and highly sensitive beings to the extreme. The creative craves inspiration and this may come with some dangerous bedfellows.
Ah yes, all creatives are drawn magnetically toward other creatives—like a moth toward the light. When two creatives connect and “synthesize,” the affects are cosmic and Earth-shattering. Imagine two celestial bodies colliding and merging; the result is a loud bang.
We creatives are drawn to the creativity and energetic flow of each other. Some will share mutually and others leach on like vampires in the night. Collaboration is a blessing and a curse—yet even the most introspective creatives need each other. We need a healthy community to nurture and support.
Here are eight strategies and tools that can help:
1. Move that body and get out of your head.
I like dancing; I actually think I was a dancer in another lifetime. Walking is another pastime that helps us ground. Wherever you are, unplug and hit the great outdoors.
2. Be creative each and every day—just for the experience.
Think of the symphonies written on the composers death bed, the manuscripts found long after the writer’s death, and the paintings left unfinished. We need to do our craft until our last breath. Art is what sustains us.
3. Become resilient to negative reviews and feedback.
Embrace failure and rejection as part of the path, then turn them into inspiration for future work. They can make us stronger, brighter, and more driven.
4. Share collaboratively, yet protect your own creative endeavours.
Balance the give and take process. Fill up your cup daily with a dose of inspiration from various sources and muses.
5. Accept that you will fall in love with many people over a lifetime.
Creatives see the light in each other and this is the life force energy of creativity—this is flow and love.
6. Accept yourself for who you are by stepping into your light.
The truth is, your gifts are a blessing only if you embrace and live life as your true, authentic self.
7. Find your spiritual connection to the creative life force that flows through us all.
8. If you need a supportive creative circle, I encourage you to explore and create one.
We need each other now more than ever in these strange and unpredictable times.
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