Each human on planet earth is a unique blend of passions, skills, leanings and preferences.
I keep saying that creatives are their own unique animal, but there are creatives who aren’t very flamboyant and there are non-creatives who are very intense and passionate. So in these blogs and elsewhere on this website, I’m really speaking in generalities. There are always exceptions, and you can’t just make blanket statements that will cover everyone and every situation.
Still, when a person is labeled a “creative” or “artist”, most people will automatically begin thinking of them as being a little off-beat and different from the rest of us. It’s those differences that make creatives intriguing to others … creatives tend to linger and ponder over things a bit longer. They notice details that others overlook. They have all these thoughts and feelings that can pile up in their heart and head, and relief usually comes when they pull away from other people for some solitude for thinking, pondering or creating their art.
Friends and family object if the creative stays away too long. The creative feels pressured to socialize when they need alone time. It’s a push-pull kind of stress that can make both sides crazy!
Many creatives, being the self-conscious and insecure souls that they are, will automatically take all the blame for it. They beat themselves up for being the odd ball and the not-normal one … or else they go the other route and become the suffering, misunderstood artist who is paying a price for the gift they’ve been given.
Both sides can be part of the solution when the non-creatives give the creative a little space and when the creative realizes there needs to be some give on their side, too. In fact, it will generally turn out for the best for the creative when they realize how helpful for their work taking a break from all their thinking and pondering can be. That’s where the regular folks in a creative’s life turn out to be so helpful, because creatives can get obsessive in their work habits, and have a tough time turning off their racing brain. Having family, friends, and activities which force them into a regular rhythm of daily and weekly life will create some order and balance through more sensible schedules.
The creative may balk at this at first. Most creatives don’t want to get fenced into schedules, but the wise ones will eventually see the wisdom and the benefits. Soon, life for everybody gets better … family, friends and home are no longer neglected. And the art and creativity begins to flow steadily. Productivity for the artist may actually increase with regularly scheduled working times. Suddenly it’s fun having an artist in the house … everybody wins!