Creativity Blog- 1st Article

Working in Progress...  (On the Subject of Work)

Initially, I had intended to give you some great nuggets or pearls of wisdom on the philosophy of creativity. That's great; they will be on the site as well. However, I also realized I wanted to discuss the creative process. The creative process does not allow itself to be ordered or simplified. In fact, it's quite messy and chaotic. As every author or artist has to draw from within their own experiences, I can only speak for myself. Although my experiences may be quite different from your own, there is always something to be gleaned from another individual's experience, whether it is through the discovery of differences, or the recognition of similarities.

I would like to open with something of great importance- work. It has been said that faith without works is dead; the importance of work is not only essential to faith but also to creativity. It is exceedingly rare for a thought to present itself fully formed. Indeed, it is my personal belief that the gems of creative thought are best discovered uncut, unpolished and unrefined. These gems must be polished and sculpted through hard work with delicate precision.

The process of refinement is incredibly important in creative expression. However, it is also one of the most difficult aspects of the creative process for one simple reason. Creation is an act of love; it is the birth of a piece of ourselves into the physical world. How can we not love what we create? Love is one of the greatest strengths and also one of our greatest vulnerabilities in the act of creation. Shakespeare's 116^th sonnet insists that “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds or bends with the remover to remove.” That is true, however, we must also realize that our love for our works is not romantic love but a parental love. It is our responsibility to nurture and develop our pieces. It is not only irresponsible to not allow it to grow to its true potential due to fear of alteration, it is callous and cruel.

Every story we write, every song we compose, every picture we paint is not only a gift but a responsibility. By choosing to bring this piece into the world we acknowledge the responsibility of making it the best piece it can be. Artists are the conduit between the idea and the creation. It is our duty to guide and refine it; that is why it was given to us. It is not a responsibility to be taken lightly. Creation is work, it is effort and striving. Therefore, not only do we have to work to make each creation the best it can be, we must make ourselves the best artists we can be. Refinement is not solely left to the creation but also the artist themselves. The more we refine ourselves, the better we become. The better we become, the harder we work. The harder we work, the more we can refine our creations. The more we can refine our creations, the better they become.