Creative Expression
I used to tell myself I wasn’t a creative person. I admired artists who shared their art, performed their music, expressed themselves unapologetically whenever they could. I held the belief that some people were meant to be artists and others weren’t. You either had it or you didn’t. I grouped myself into the latter.
Looking back, I didn’t really understand what it meant to be creative. Could I only be creative if I was “good” at a common art form? So much of me wanted to express myself through the arts but I’d hit mental blocks. Fear of judgment or failure. I wanted to be perfect before sharing anything close to me. I’d draw, write poetry, play basic tunes on my keyboard, sing, and dance. It all made me feel closer to myself until self-judgment stopped me from exploring it further.
I’ve always considered myself an idea person. I love inspiration and imagination. I love the fantasy of it. I’m safe in my own mind. What I want to create can exist freely without limitations or fear of not meeting the expectations I’ve set for it. Execution is another thing. As I’ve challenged myself to share more of myself, online and in-person, I’ve noticed how much of what I want to express shape-shifts from the moment the idea is conceived to the time it gets released into the physical world.
Is what I share still me when it’s all said and done? Has it been softened and smoothed to be more digestible and well-received? The answer is often, kind of..
So I reflect on my creative process and ask myself -
What would it be like to only create from a place that feels genuine to me? Can I create FOR me and allow that to be sent out into the world regardless of how it's perceived?
It’s easy to lose sight of the true intention. Thankfully, I receive reminders to always come back to it.
I’m still chipping away at the belief that what I share needs to be “good” or understood to be worth something. There are a lot of layers there but they’re worth peeling back.
It would be a disservice to myself and the world around me not to express myself freely. This is true for you too. The purest forms of expression and creativity have no rules.
