As a creative, it’s tempting to do rather than be.
It often goes like this: The muse plants a seed of inspiration in our mind and we push the pedal to the metal to translate the dream into a tangible creation before the moment is lost. I know all too well … and have lost many “genius creations” to the wind. But let’s stop for just a moment and examine the process. We can either spend our life chasing creativity, or being creative. There is a distinct difference.
How many times have you spent all day (week, month, year …) working on something that just never quite turned out the way you initially saw it in your mind? At the end of a creative project, it’s easy to fall out of love with it if we compare the final product to our initial potential of the creative spark. I am guilty of this … very guilty. As visionaries, we see the unseen; we are driven to bring the dream to life. But here is the thing … our creative projects will likely never be as glorious as we first imagined them to have the potential to be. Reality can’t compete with the spark of creativity in the mind. That might sound pessimistic, but I think it is healthy.
As visionaries, we can see the finished product.
Our mind can dream and imagine things that aren’t restricted by lack of resources or the broken world in which we live. This is a blessing … but it can also be a curse. It depends on how we respond.
If we create solely to animate a “pixel by pixel” clone of our initial creative spark, we might set ourselves up for a never-ending journey of obsession that leads to selfishness and destruction. Chasing creativity kills the creative, because we eventually run out of energy.
To sustain creativity, we must hold it with open hands and invite others into the process.
We must BE creative. Being creative is sustainable because it is a journey, not a destination. Being creative is sustainable because it has healthy limitations. Being creative is sustainable because it is content to be in process instead of needing to be completed.
When we invite others into the creative process, our initial creative spark creates life … for us … and for community.
It is initially more difficult to collaborate than to venture out alone, but it’s worth it …. the lone explorer never gets very far and often dies alone in the wilderness.
Invite others into your creative journey … and be creative together.
Are you chasing creativity or being creative?
