Go
and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and
fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your
being here. Make. Good. Art.
– Neil Gaiman addressing The Philadelphia University of the Arts Class of 2012
– Neil Gaiman addressing The Philadelphia University of the Arts Class of 2012
Leading a creative life is not for the faint of heart. It is highly likely that many people you care about will at one time or another do a “tsk, tsk.” If
you dare complain about the challenges of
creating, the lack of money, the difficult choices you have to make,
most people will not understand or empathize. Some will actually be
I-told-you-so friends or will distance themselves because they just
don't get it. Leading a creative life during the Renaissance was prized,
but during 21st Century America not so much. Today, for many, the
belief is you’re an adult and you should know better than to
make such a (feel in the blank with a word akin to “stupid”) choice for a
career. However, for a true creative person it is the only choice that
brings
fulfillment. So, how do you make it work? How do you keep going in spite
of the
naysayers and the challenges? Here are a few rules of the
road that work for me.
- Embrace Failure. You will fail at some point, and probably at multiple points. It is inevitable. I had 39 rejections before getting my first book contract. Other writers were successful with several books and then couldn't sell anything for years. It's the nature of being a working writer. If you paint, draw, dance, act, it is the same. Creative people fail, but they also succeed. Embrace your fear of failure and get on with it, because you will eventually succeed. Let's face it, you ARE a creative and that means you must create.
- Embrace Success. Because most creative people fail a lot before they get to the point where they are selling regularly, once success happens it is natural to think it’s a fluke. Watch out for this kind of self-talk: “If all those readers, buyers, publishers, editors, really knew that this book is no better than the other nine I couldn’t sell, they would run screaming. Gosh I hope they never figure it out.” Make peace with the impostor syndrome that comes with success. You will be visiting success a lot. Enjoy the time you have there and accept it as an affirmation of all your hard work.
- Don’t compare your success to someone else. Each creative person has a different path. You have no idea what that other person did to get there and, even if you did know, chances are your choices would be different.
- Celebrate each small victory. Don’t get swept up into the next thing before being fully present with the joys of this one. In the beginning I celebrated rejections because it meant I had the guts to send out my work. Then I celebrated edits because at least I had an editor. Then I celebrated publishing. I even celebrate bad reviews because I know the person read the book and cared enough that he or she was angry when I didn't meet expectations. OMG! A person READ my book. That is a reason for celebration. Celebration is key, don't let an opportunity for celebration escape you.
- Make up your own rules. This is an era in which the creative landscape is in constant flux. The rules are being broken down, the gatekeepers are being replaced and displaced. There are no hard and fast rules. Do works for you.
- You are unique and only you can tell your story. You don’t need to copy others, just be the best you possible. Make your art, tell your story, find your voice.
Now, go forth and conquer!
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Maggie Jaimeson - Take a Vacation
Jessa Slade - Get Organized
Paty Jager - Volunteerism
Linda Mercury - Creating a Literary (or Creative) Life
Jenna Bayley-Burke - Eat Healthier
Cassiel Knight - No More Procrastination
Cathryn Cade - Take Time for those OTHER Creative Passions
Su Lute - Reduce Stress: Find and Follow Your Bliss
Jamie Brazil - Shrink My Closet
Maggie, those are great rules! I think 3 is the hardest for me.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Paty. This is definitely a case of "do as I say, not as I do." :) Though I do follow all of these rules MOST of the time. I still fall to bouts of doubt frequently. I think it is a constant journey. I've definitely mastered #6, finally. The other five are in a constant state of reaffirmation.
ReplyDeleteI love #4. Life got so much better for me when I started celebrating every victory and every gain. It adds so much joy!
DeleteThis is a GREAT list - thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete39 rejections is quite impressive. I hope you kept a binder or something to reflect upon when times get tough.