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This Band Goes Time
markup on photo
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I committed to my creative life about two years back, and I've learned a few things that may help you with your own. Just so you know, I did not fire up making stuff again because some angel sang from heaven, or I woke up with a masterpiece in my mind that HAD to manifest. Or because I had a preponderance of free time, existential boredom, or ANY money for materials.
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I recommitted because my sweet, self-built livelihood burst into flames and I started mistrusting the world which appeared to me to be bunch of greedy, unkind animals. Yeah, after following 4 years of ongoing family crises, massive overwork, and an amped up amygdala, I was a mess.
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Needing to rebuild myself from the ground up, I remembered that as soon as I could walk and talk, I was always made things. So it made sense to start there.
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And, it been an odd and magical road, complete with fits and fights, a yeet of debt where a modest income used to be, pressures to get a "regular job," even some side-eyes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. My soul sent me here, and I'm just getting started.
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7 Keys to Fulfill your Creative Destiny
- Realize that creative is your state of being, not an action you perform.
- Understand that your honest experiences and singular point of view are what make your work interesting.
- Make things the easiest way you know how, with what you have on hand. How many of you have bought all the best watercolors or calligraphy pens, then barely sat down to use them? I say, pick up ANYTHING you have around and start using that. I started drawing on my phone photos using my finger, my photos, and basic photo markup tools. 250 drawings later, I've built myself a fine visual language.
- Train your senses to guide you to completion. Artists fulfill their own vision of what's interesting or beautiful. So you need your eyes to give you feedback what's to come next. Tune into Delight, Satisfaction, or Completeness signaled by your body – not your mind– as you work.
- At some point, call yourself a pro. If you want to continue doing this (because it feels great - see #4), consider treating your craft with the same seriousness any other professional would do: daily practice, study, sharing, and monetization.
- Value your Constructive Inner Critic, but not Resistance. It's good to objectively see your craft, to alter your medium and presentation, and to be able to choose which works you'll show, and which will get shelved. What's not useful though is Resistance, which stops you from starting. Swap one for the other if you like to fight through a bunch of internal push back, OR become a badass and throw it all down like a boss.
- Imbibe the Masters. Also stated as "see and read great stuff."
If you want the quality of your work to improve, your senses need to get used to consuming the highest-quality material. There's a reason why "great artists steal" (says Picasso), they absolutely tap the themes and brush strokes and lyricism of works that have come before, then tie them into new wholes via personal experience.
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There's value here if you follow along and adapt to your own ways. Please send this email to a friend to encourage their creative process, or consider gifting or tipping the author if you'd like more content like this.
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More Text & Images Below:
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CRYSTALLINE CLARIFICATION HERE: this piece is not about whitewashing trauma. It is also not about justifying it either, even if there is a bit of "silver lining" present in my account. Creating physical or psychological trauma for others is wrong. Breaking the basic laws of decency, and the law of the land, in my opinion, is also wrong. Harming children …
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I realized yesterday, the soaring health care costs I'm experiencing are mostly about keeping me in strong bones and boobs. My entire adult life, I've avoided being considered "high maintenance." It was a derogatory warning given me as a young person that seemed to only afflict women. So to avoid ridicule, I doubled down on being natural and easy, and …
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POLITICAL ACTION AREA It's likely best to plug into your local groups, and show up in the ways you can. Peaceful crowd sizes matter, as does your positive energy and adherence to non-violence. It's been said that once 3.5% of the population takes to the street, tyranny cannot stand. Perhaps if 2.7% of the population takes to the street, we can prevent Tyranny from standing in the first place?
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