We all know that a creative life is one that values expression over almost everything else, but we rarely talk about how creativity takes courage. Think about it. Making art, no matter the medium causes you to be vulnerable. You’re taking your deepest feelings and expressing them in a manner that lays you bare. Even if you start out creating only for yourself, chances are very good that eventually you’ll want to share your art. That’s terrifying at first, sometimes it’s terrifying forever. If you’re going to honor your creativity, it’s so important to have the courage to share your work, your soul, with others.
Why Is This So Scary?
When we were young, most of us were not encouraged to express our creativity. Our caregivers were possibly embarrassed by the different voice we seemed to have, or maybe they were just trying to protect us, as their own creativity had been ridiculed. Whatever the case may be, in our mid teens, most of us were advised to get serious about our lives. After all, we had futures to think of. Everyone knows that very few people will ever make a living with art.
As we grew older the world showed us that it wasn’t safe to be so vulnerable. People could ridicule your ideas, they might shun you because they’re afraid of your creativity and what it says about their reluctance to create. The absolute enemy of creativity is shame.
dare to think differently
As we get older, it become less important what other people think of us or our art. We tend to shed the fear of being different and in fact we often start to embrace it. I know in my life this gets stronger every year. Living in the time that we happen to find ourselves, it’s very easy to share your self. There are lots of social media platforms where you can share your creativity. You don’t even have to use your real name! Don’t let anything stop you from expressing yourself. Creativity is like a muscle, the more you use it, the more you commit to using it, the stronger it gets.
Creativity Takes Courage, But it’s Oh So Worth It!
Whether you paint, write, make music, sew, digitally design, go ahead and show us what you’ve got. Remember the word courage, doesn’t mean that you don’t have fear. Rather it mean to work through the fear to get to the good stuff.
