Creativity for me is a life-long habit and the day I stop being creative will likely be the day I die.
But, I'm not just creative when it comes to writing. I wanted to go to stage school after A-Levels - I love to perform - I am forever doodling abstract images over everything (I adore Kandinsky). I also had a fair few paintings exhibited as a child and, naturally, won quite a few writing competitions.
But, I'm not just creative when it comes to writing. I wanted to go to stage school after A-Levels - I love to perform - I am forever doodling abstract images over everything (I adore Kandinsky). I also had a fair few paintings exhibited as a child and, naturally, won quite a few writing competitions. You could say I've always been a bit creative and I'm glad! Sure, it means I inhabit my own little world more than I probably should, but the end results are worth it. As Alan Alda said:
The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.
However, there is a downside, which I think Nietzsche sums up wonderfully:
You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.
Ah, the chaos. That's the only word suitable to describe the thoughts in my head; there doesn't seem to be an off button either.
The problem with creativity is that it can you make highly strung. Because you create such wonderful highs, it's inevitable that the lows are going to be horrific. I am never the happy medium: I'm buoyantly on top of the world, or I'm in the depths of despair. It's what people label as the 'artistic temperament' and I definitely have this stormy trait.
Because of this people can find me quite a difficult person to get along with, unless you happen to be that way inclined, that is. Of course, some people would probably say my 'artistic temperament' is just my excuse to be foul-tempered, but I say pfiut to those people. ;)
Alientation is the price I happily pay for what I create because whereas I do have a fabbity imagination, I do not have the capacity to imagine a world where I cannot be creative. It may be a lonely and painful world at times, but life never bores me - I never have the opportunity to be bored. I'm not sure how many people could claim that.
This is what my world is like; this is who I am. Who are you? x
I believe myself to be creative and a lot of the time I live inside my head. When I'm bored I have a lifelong story created inside my head that I switch on to entertain me - about a girl who goes and does all these things I want to do. I really should post about it sometime.
ReplyDeleteI doubt I am as creative as you though because I let my general laziness about life hold me back from actually grabbing the bull by the horns and doing anything about it!
I'm really keen to read your post prior to this one, but I'm saving it for later so I can properly give it my attention. It looks really interesting!
I've always said I prefer the people inside my head to the ones outside, which probably makes me a) weird, b) anti-social and c) weird again.
ReplyDeleteActually...being a people-watcher is essential to a writer, but that presents a problem, because observation is essential, but you have to get involved as well, so you have the life experience to make your own characters live and leap off the page. But the more time you spend with 'fleshpeople' as I call them, the less time you have for the fictional ones.
I do hope I'm making sense, but it's late and I've had little sleep lately.
I'm sure as a writer you'd know what I mean though. ;)
I'm hopeless at expressing myself face-to-face. I fall to bits. But in writing? Oh it's the easiest thing in the world. (When I've slept, that is, and I'm rested).
@Paula - I'm like that - I run little 'movies' in my head, too!! :D As for the post before, it is very lengthy, but definitely some interesting stuff in it. :)
ReplyDelete@Scarlett - Looks like I'm also weird and anti-social. ;) Don't worry, you are making perfect sense - I do know this *very* well as a writer. :) Ah, the life of a writer! Wouldn't swap it for anything. {^_^}
I'm relieved to see I'm not the only weirdo around here. ;)
ReplyDeleteI think creativity and chaotic thoughts go hand in hand. All ideas come from strange places and chaos is really strange to say the least.
ReplyDeleteAnd on a side note: cool Nietzsche quote.