I am sure that almost all of my readers fall completely in this category or mostly are in the category. Creative people are just slightly marching to a different tune. I have creative grandchildren, musicians and artists and I see these qualities in them also.
The last time my one grandson was here he brought home a new friend. His friend was commenting about my house and Tyler said, “Oh, she is an
artist. No she really is. She paints a lot.” I had to chuckle to myself.
The overheard conversation set me to thinking about people and the way we process life. The image below shows some of the things that make
creative people different than others.
Do you fit into the list a little or a lot? Do people complain about what makes you tick? Do they think you are crazy?
Creative people pay a severe penalty when they try to live in some kind of “meaning neutral” state. What they would really like to do is keep creating.
They want to write more, compose another song, begin another canvas. They are having a conversation and at least part of their mind is working out dialogue for the novel they are writing.
Creative individuals worry about wasting time that they are not using to create. They want to use all of their time creating and it just is impossible for most people. They pester themselves about good reasons for their inability to do so. They fee guilty about time spent doing other things than creating.
While working at a day job, or taking care of children, or studying for a degree you can support yourself with, they are always creating or they are feeling guilty about not creating. They know a degree is not a waste of time. Their heart is telling them they are wasting precious time. Lyrics float through their heads during the Monday morning meeting. A stanza of a poem stands up and cries to be written down just as they begin a test. They are conflicted, guilty and feel like they don’t accomplish anything.
As humans are now wired, we need to find meaning in life. Artists are obsessed with finding meaning for their lives and their art. Difficult to live with? Well, yes, you could say it. Worth the effort? Yes, they are. Allow them to talk about their life without adding pressure or guilt they already feel.
