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Everybody is creative, I’ve never met a person that didn’t feel rewarded after they did something creative. Creativity feels good - end of story. But when I say ‘creative people’, I’m talking about…
..the group of people whose creativity is wrapped up in their identity. For these people, to deny their creativity is to deny themselves. They not only feel rewarded when they create, they feel like their most authentic selves. For these people creativity is freedom. It’s spiritual, creativity is a connection with something greater than themselves. To be inspired is to be in-spirit, detached from the illusions and burdens of everyday life. Creativity connects them to their energetic intuition, they feel their energy shift when they experience art.
They intimately understand how the manipulation of elements, like a mathematical equation, equates to a distinct energy or feeling, which can shift perspective and alter realities. For these people creativity is their purpose, they feel called to share the products of their creativity with the world, to alter the energy of others.
Evidence shows that people with natural creative gifts are wired differently. They experience intense extremes in energy and mood. They can go from flow energy where rest and food are not needed for days, to devastating lows. Flow to low. They feel intensely. The same sensitivity that makes creatives intuitive also makes them moody, with extreme mood swings a part of their daily life. This special disposition leaves creatives at a higher risk of mental illness.
To throw another level of complexity at the mental state of creative people, the creative process intensifies these extremes. The creative process is like a curve, similar to the smile shape of the Failure Friendly logo. It’s starts off exciting and inspirational, but before you reach the rewarding finish line, you must move through a dip. Stepping into uncertainty, facing self doubt, and dealing with the vulnerability of putting yourself out there. Perhaps I was wrong when I said ‘creativity feels good - end of story’.
It’s in the darkness that we find the answer, make the connection or learn the lessons we need to reach the end, returning to a feeling of elation. It’s that dip, the dark-side of creativity, that concerns me. It is where so many creative souls give up on themselves, robbing them and the rest of us of their creative gifts.