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May 164 min read

Honor Creativity by Doing the Work

Don't say you want to write. Get off your tushy and do it.



Title Card to honor creativity through the work


The Great Creators with Guy Raz offers a plethora of learning opportunities and inspiration. Case in point, an interview with Johnny Marr of The Smiths and Modest Mouse.


During the episode, Johnny discussed the power of creation. A versatile songwriter and guitarist, he stated that individuals need to honor their creativity by doing the work to make things happen.


In other words, don't keep saying you want to write a book. Sit your arse down and write the damn book.


If vs. Am

You know your life is a story, right? It features characters, relationships, objectives (goals), locations, and emotional shifts. Lots of emotional shifts. More emotional shifts than in a trashy romance novel with a shirtless cowboy on the cover.


In some cases, how your story runs depends on your upbringing. One filled with encouragement, resilience, or both tends to result in a strong creative presence. These folks declare, "I am a writer" rather than "If I could only write." When you lack the inner strength of belief, you achieve opposite results.


It's grueling to get past the ifs when the latter is true, especially when it continues into adulthood. Lack of confidence isn't something you shake off one day to become the person you want. Neural paths leading to the highways of expected disappointment must be replaced with well-fortified roads toward the exits of inner strength and creative endurance.


Stoicism

Then there's stoicism. Founded by Greek philosopher Zeno of Citium (of the popular 80s sitcom Zeno and Plato), its foundation is the development of self-control to overcome destructive emotions. In modern terms, crap happens, and you move on.


"But I can't do that," you say to your mobile device. "I'm a creative. I can't avoid emotions about my work." Are you sure you're talking about your work or reactions to it?


Writing, no matter the circumstance, honors both stoicism and creativity. Who cares about the responses of others or the number of clicks? You're doing it to quench your creative fires. Whatever happens is not always up to you.


Yes, I know social media and internet analytics have hampered stoicism. I’m not immune to the pull of likes on my posts or the number of readers to the blog. Yet, when I head down the rabbit hole of doubt due to the lack of response, I know to quickly jump out and focus on the skill, not the reaction.


Dusting Off

I have two examples of stoicism that may help you understand why doing the work is most important.


Baseball

Most sports are a mix of talent and timing. Take baseball, for example. Whether or not someone on first base successfully steals second depends on the alertness and speed of the runner, pitcher, catcher, and fielder.


If it works, great for the baserunner. If they slide head first into second but are clearly out, the player doesn't cry into their knees (unless they’re six years old). Instead, they get up, dust themselves off, and wait until their next turn at bat to rectify the situation.


Here, the player honors their creativity (sports are a creative outlet) by taking a chance and stealing another base. They don’t overthink the process or the fan reactions. It's "I am going to steal that base" rather than "I'm going to disappoint everyone if tagged out."


Improv

If you've ever watched Whose Line Is It Anyway? you've probably noticed how much laughter and applause each sketch gets. However, this isn't always the case with improvised comedy at the theater level. During my two decades in the profession, I had an equal mix of boisterous laughter and audiences so dead the Grim Reaper came in looking for victims.


At first, I would let frustration wash over me at the end of a scene. "What if I did it this way?" I would ponder. These thoughts would morph into blame of other performers who I didn't believe pulled their weight.


Like baseball, improv is a team endeavor. Once I knew this, I established a level of stoicism. Instead of getting pissed after a scene, I'd figuratively wipe my hands of it and get ready for the next one. I put in the creative work to do better through active listening and following the action.


You Can (Can't) Control the Future

There's a limit to the amount of control you have over the future. When you're part of the "am" world, you do the work to display the creativity gifted to you. When you're part of team "if" your creativity is strained or forever put on hold as you constantly question your capabilities. In the end, you're not honoring yourself or the Universe if you're part of the latter group.


What Did We Learn Today, Rich?

Take the advice of superstar Marcus Aurelius to honor your creative abilities. He said, "You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks, and be the creative genius destiny blessed you with.


All the best.

Rich Scott Keller

 





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