Creative works - 2025 01 20

 

Two pears - 2025 01 20 - graphite, acrylic ink, pen on cardstock - 4" x 6"

All my life I have laboured under the false construct that if I was going to do creative work I needed to be extraordinary, I needed to break new ground, I needed to make something that had never been made before. These ideas served as a self-censuring internal monologue that put a seemingly unmovable obstacle between me and my creative expression. I hope my experience and strength can give all us creatives confidence that our work is worth doing and it doesn't have to be anything other than what it is, that it exists because we made it.

Another false construct that has hindered my progress is the idea that I have to put in an extraordinary amount of time and effort into practicing my creative work before it is worth sharing. But that is also not true. As soon as I make something I feel is worth sharing, it is worth sharing. If it gives me comfort, articulates an experience, broadens my perspective or deepens my understanding, it is worth sharing. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just needs to be done.

I hope we can eradicate these two false constructs that serve as obstacles to our creative work. It is through sharing our creative work that we connect and foster trustworthy relationships. We explore uncharted territories when we create new work. We make ourselves vulnerable when we share our creative works with others. We build strength in our relationships when we show appreciation for each of our efforts to be creative and receptive.

Imagine how much creative potential will be released when we are no longer hobbled by the false constructs of exceptionalism and perfectionism. We really don't know how the new paradigms for social organization will emerge. We do know they are going to arise from creative works into uncharted territories.