Yes, that's a big goal of mine. To be free. To work only if I need to learn something, but not to depend on the "security" of a job in order to help provide for my family.
Creativity. Such a controversial word.
Those who think they are creative, love it. Those who think they aren't, hate it.
I grew up thinking I was creative. My dad is a super talented and resourceful man who has spent his life designing custom cabinetry and kitchens. My childhood home had traces of his (and mom's) designs everywhere: from our beautiful wooden closets, to our state of the art kitchen, wood doors through out, entertainment center, and so on. (I don't think I will ever approve of a closet that has not been designed by dad... they just don't make them like that here) He can draw furniture like no one else, and also bring them to life. And my mom is also super creative, from her delicious food that is all done without recipe, to her crafts, and her beautifully crafted fondant cakes that once gave her the opportunity to meet Hulk Hogan's ex-wife to be hired as a pastry chef. Her resourcefulness and ability to dream and see those dreams into existence was what brought us here when I was 12. And it all goes from my parents up to generations before them. There are painters, interior designers, drawers, musicians, etc., etc. Creativity: It runs in our genes. And so it was natural that I was given the opportunity to learn how to explore this quality. How to build stuff, how to paint stuff, how to create stuff. I feel more at home with a hammer or paint brush in hand, than at a mall with cash in my hand.
However, as much as I have been described by this word, I had never really defined myself by it. It was always just the source of a hobby.
I paint to lose myself, to express some very deep and emotional feeling, to let go. I write to escape to another world, to become someone I sometimes don't have the courage to be in the real world, to fight my deepest fears.
As of late though, the word has become more of a challenge - one that mocks me, if nothing else. Because I started to wonder about the worth of the this quality I seem to possess, and then I also started wondering about what it is that I am supposed to do with my life. My worlds collided. Is creativity something I can use for more than my own joy? Is this something I can pursue full time in the future? Is this the reason I hate mindless jobs that not only do not require any creativity at all, but strive in suppressing it?
Yes, I think it may be. So I started to research like crazy about it, to dream more than I had ever allowed myself to, to start birthing ideas into life. I even contacted some 'creatives' around me in the hopes I could shadow them to see how these people that I admire so much channel their own source of creativity. I let myself try a bunch of different avenues, and also to be ok when some didn't turn out the way I had hoped. I let myself try, fail, and succeed. And it was good. Not everything worked out, and I am still in the beginning stages of this journey, but I have learned a few things:
- All I can do is try, and not give up: I am learning to find my own voice, to seek different arenas, to understand out when it is ok to stop in one field and when to pursue another one. Giving up would only leave me struggling with the "what if's." I am still young. It is the best time to take risks, and learning is hardly a risk.
- Creativity doesn't only encompass writers, painters, and musicians. It is also includes those who solve problems, those who seek to use innovation in their every day lives. Creativity goes past beyond a choice of career. And I believe all of us have a part of that in us. Some have tapped into it, others have heard those voices saying it isn't wort it. But we all possess it. It is all about our decisions.
- Creativity requires courage, perseverance, and strength. It also takes discipline. Some of the projects I have been working on become tedious after the first hour, but commitment is a must. It is a must if I want to see if I have what it takes, if I need to learn more about a technique, if I need to try a new technique, if it even is worth it.
With that being said, I decided to harvest a life that involves more creativity, in every sense of the word. Because when I am creating, whether it is a solution, a painting, a story, the flow of my apartment, or whatever it may be, it is when I feel alive the most. And this has taken me in the most adventurous journey of my adult life - and I see that the possibilities are endless. So I have been working on a project that is very dear to my heart and I will share in the near future. I can hardly contain the excitement, because after all, we all have a key role in how our individual stories play out.
So with that being said, I leave you with my top three sources of encouragement and inspiration - for both the creative and 'non-'creative type alike:
- An eight week podcast: currently on week 5. Download them (named "Artisan.") here. Talks about the artisan in all of us and how creativity ties in more into our lives' story than into the work of our hands.
- Start Something That Matters: A websited created by Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes, that focuses on Social Entrepreneurship and provides more resources as well as inspirational stories from people that have created businesses based on the "one for one" model. Also, he wrote a book about his journey to starting the TOMS brand, which you can buy here.
- The Accidental Creative podcast: It contains a ton of content that I listen to weekly regarding how to become efficient in your creative field without losing sight of the creativity that is in us. He interviews professionals in different fields whose roles require creativity.
So there you have it, this is what I have been chewing on as of late. If you have any questions, suggestions, thoughts, anything, please leave a comment and I'll get back to ya. Feedback is great, and very much appreciated!
