The Writing Life
The other week, I shared a cup of coffee with a new acquaintance. He asked about my art, so I told him about Write Right and how I place her into books, fairytales, and nursery rhymes. He listened, and then he asked if I had ever thought of letting her time travel in order to meet poets.
[Read more…] about Creative Life Truths: You Can’t do it Alone
If anyone ever tells you that being creative is easy or gets easier, look him or her in the eye and say, “You’re a liar.” Go ahead. I give you permission because here’s the grim, true reality: being creative is hard.
[Read more…] about Creative Life Truths: Being Creative is Hard
As a writer or artist, ruts come easily. The finished product may be good, excellent even, but it falls within acceptable limits. As an example: my poetry. My standard style employs short lines and couplets. I like it; it gives room for invention. However, it quickly becomes “du jour”—in graduate school, people could identify my poems by the lines, no name or signature required. The form grew restrictive, definitive.
Peter Parker’s uncle tells him, “With great power comes great responsibility.” For creative people, the saying goes more like this: “With great talent comes great vulnerability.” Vulnerability, though, is uncomfortable, perhaps explaining why people — including me — try to skirt it.
[Read more…] about Creative Life Truths: You’ll Never be Great until You Can be Vulnerable
We sometimes view people as their end results, believing they’re born with innate creativity or genius. Take Mozart as an example. We think of him as a musical prodigy. However, someone encouraged him to take a seat at the piano for the first time. Some person urged him to embrace the talent entrusted to him. We think he possessed innate creativity, and maybe he did, but someone helped him release it.
[Read more…] about Creative Life Truths: No One’s Born with Creativity
This creative life truth probably stands as one of my favorites. Reason: I’ve been arguing the case that everyone is creative for years. I vividly recall saying something along that line to my college roommate. A few years later, I made the statement to my youngest brother, an engineer.
[Read more…] about Creative Life Truths: Everyone is Creative