The Magic Inside
What it means to live a creative life
I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. And, ultimately, trying to live it. Many times it takes effort. And sometimes, in those sublime moments, it comes naturally—sweet like honey.
“To create one’s own world takes courage.”—Georgia O’Keeffe
Living the creative life. What does that mean? The starving artist? The journeyer? The seeker? The unconventional? There are certainly many to emulate in this great tradition—Rimbaud, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, Dylan (both Dylan Thomas and Bob), Patti Smith, Picasso, Van Gogh—I could go on and on with the icons, the bohemian legends. Some have had their struggles of varying kinds and you wouldn’t want to emulate those demons. But still, creativity led their existence, they lived it and live it every day. But truth is, many great creative lives are unknown, not famous, some have no writing published, no art on walls. Still, they live a life of creativity.
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”—Thomas Merton
I work in a small writing shed on my property. Many of you know this. It is my creative sanctuary. Although I do not claim to have a formula for living creatively, or believe that my shed is the key to it all, I do believe it’s a start. I’ve written about what I hope a creative life might reveal to my sons. At least for me. But I do not have a magical list of what it means to live such a life. That would not be very bohemian, now would it?
Still, some random thoughts about what it might mean.
Learn to say no to things that don’t make your heart thump. You have to live a life of passion. Something has to sing in your heart. This is the soul of the creative life. Find what you love.
Let curiosity take you to new places. Be aware and continually ask questions of yourself. Learn new things, explore, read, listen, view, and observe. Be a sponge. Curiosity is the fuel of a creative life.
Make space for your creative self. So many times we hear ourselves say, “If I only had the time, I’d write, or paint, or sing a song, or dance. . .” Stop that. Make the time. Creativity should be one of your priorities. You have to carve out a space for it and refuse to give away that space.
Stop criticizing your work. Easy to say; hard to do. Self doubt, vulnerability are parts of the creative life. But do not let them derail you. The vulnerability should fuel you.
Stretch yourself. If you are a painter—write. If you write songs—draw. If you write prose—write a song lyric. Do not limit your creative platforms. It helps to build the foundation for the next creative project.
Share. This is the last part of the equation. It’s fine to create, but keeping your poems in a drawer and only bringing them into the light for you and you alone to see, kills the spirit. Yes, sometimes it is hard to share what you have opened your heart and soul to create; vulnerability is a tough battle. But letting go of your work is the final and necessary step. Sharing your creativity is sharing a life, and that is what humans do.
“Art is not a thing, it is a way.”—Elbert Hubbard
Many years ago, I dedicated myself to writing prose at the same time every day for one hour. I grew and learned, and today, I write as if my life depends on it. Because, it does. I write songs. I recently wrote a poem for my wife for her birthday. Is all of it the greatest work ever? Of course not. But it is the process at full throttle, and it is the process that is vital. Take a close, deep look at the image at the top of this essay. Take in the colors and the brush strokes. The art here is not the thing we see, the physical painting is not the art. The art comes to us individually, uniquely, as an emotion, not something we can hold in our hand or accept through our eyes. It is what each of us on a personal level takes from this image. This is what matters.
And how beautiful it is to consider the mystery and magic of this.
Image: Steve Johnson