The Vital Importance Of Creating Like Only YOU Can...

[Dan Goodwin]

Many people who come to CCS are on the brink of a kind of creative rebirth, rediscovering their creativity and the enjoyment they get from it in a way they haven't done in years, maybe even decades.

Consequently, every step feels like a leap of faith, and from the feedback and conversations I have, one of the biggest doubts people have is "What do I have to offer?" or, put another way, "Is what I create significant or important?"

The answer to that is a big loud YES!

Each of us can only create in our own unique ways, no-one else can create the same. The world needs you to create like only you can, not to try to be a carbon copy of whatever's popular or in fashion at the time.

Follow your passion, create what you long to create, and it will always be the "right" thing to create.

Maybe you've felt these kind of doubts yourself?

Share your thoughts and experiences below:

[Dan Goodwin]

Starla, I think you're going to like it here... : )

Thanks for the quote, interesting the part about human love. You could see creating art and sharing it with the world as an act of love for yourself and for humanity as a whole...

Dan

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Hi Starla :)

I really like what you said here:
"Passion is knowing that you're doing the most authentic thing for you and following that feeling wherever it leads you, no matter how terrifying that might be."

Thanks! I really needed to hear that. Being authentic is very important. I'm glad to hear that you are following your passion in spite of the fearful feelings of how it will be accepted by others.

Perhaps your work will help some people to notice that their priorities may be a bit off, as Alfredo says.

[Starla]

Hi Barbara,

Thanks :) I wish I could listen to my own nuggets of wisdom though when i'm feeling less than able to go with the creative flow! You can throw that one right back at me when I'm in a dark mood and too grumpy to write!

I'm hopeful that my work won't offend. And to be honest, i'm not sure that I care if it does anymore. I think people need a gentle nudge out of their mental armchairs sometimes.

starla
xx

[Alfredo]

If you consider how many people Harry Potter offended, then you'll be in good company! The fact is that there will always be a sour puss out there. If they want to burn your book in the back yard, at least you got their money first! LOL.

However, as Barbara said, your work may help and even touch more people than you know at this time. If you are being led to write this, the universe may have it amazing reasons for you to do so. Somewhere I heard or read that a true artist is one who challenges the norm with his or her art. It may have been in the 'Art and fear' book Barbara recommended a while back, I am not sure. How well the concept applies here. After all, as artists, we want to sometimes be a trend setter or even groundbreaking. The HBO series 'Six Feet Under' was a smash hit, and you can bet it offended plenty. I am sure 'Will and Grace,' 'Queer as Folk' and 'The L Word' have done their share of offending, yet they made millions to the respective networks, cast, crew and producers. Also, many fans of such shows have said how much their lives were helped by these as well.

[Beth Robinson]

Definitely. I like my work well enough, but it rarely approaches what I think it should be or what I see others that I admire doing. Sometimes I'm very proud of my work, but sometimes I have the waves of self-doubt and wonder why I bother. It doesn't seem important enough because it doesn't reach the level of achievement that I aim for. I keep going anyway.

[Alfredo]

Have you ever wondered if many who you admire feel the same way about their work? Also, comparing ourselves to other artists can be a formula for disaster. Not to mention that comparing ourselves with successful artists can also be a formula for deception. For example, a beginning writer may compare herself to a famous writer, but the famous writer works with a staff of people, some who actually wrote the rest of the book. And what about the famous writer's first book? (Or the manuscript that was not accepted).

[WildCherry]

I agree with Alfredo - if we are prone to be self-critical it stays with us whatever level we reach and we still feel dissatisfied but on some level that also can be the motivation for continuing to work, always thinking "The next one...". Perhaps that's not the ideal motivation but if it works;-)

Comparing ourselves with others is definitely a recipe for disaster but only the strongest amongst us can resist it! I was watching a slideshow about Gauguin the other day and came out wowed but depressed by his ability to produce such a huge volume of excellent paintings. Later that night I was watching a moviecast about happiness and the guy was talking about how if we didn't have any parameters for our ambition we would go nuts...Made me think!

The pod/moviecast is on my partner's blog here.

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Interesting! Thanks, Wild Cherry. The part that blew me away was that people with amnesia had the same results as people who don't, in the experiments on "synthesized" happiness.

[Susan Hosken]

I still find it hard to see my cross stitch and knitting as creative because I am following someone else's pattern.
lots of love from susan in australia

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Susan, that's sort of how I felt with doing beadwork jewelry, because I didn't create the stitches. I did choose my own colors and types of beads, and I chose what to make with the stitches.

I really didn't enjoy following a pattern for something to come out exactly as designed, so I didn't do that very often. However, there are lots of beaders who do love to do that. I did take pride in the skills I had developed. You would be surprised how many of us do not know how to knit, or who are not able to do it in a way that it comes out looking nice.

Have you ever tried drawing a design of your own to cross stitch? That would be one creative way of using your good skills, and also making something that is original ...

[Susan Hosken]

I have designed my own cross stitch Barbara. I never thought of people who can't knit and those who knit badly. Strange but I think other knitters and cross stitchers are being creative.
lots of love from susan in australia

[Dan Goodwin]

Susan, I understand what you're sayin, but consider this:

When I write I use words that have already been used billions of times, based on letters of an alphabet that was invented 100s of years ago. I can't be bothered to create a whole new language each time I want to write so I take the easy option and write in English. How creative of me is that?

Is that really all that different from you following a few pre-created patterns in your cross stitch and knitting?