Navigating a Healthy Relationship With Creativity

Thoughts on building a lasting connection with your craft.

I’ve been asked a few times “Why do you write a newsletter?” and the simplest way I can answer this question is: because I can’t not write it. Even if I tried to stop, even if I didn’t publish these articles to the public, they would still come out of me. It’s what I do. I experience things and then further explore them through words and images. For myself, for others, and simply for the pleasure that being creative has on the human mind, body, and spirit. Sometimes it’s effortless and other times it feels like hard work—but I’m devoted to the practice as a whole. This week I wanted to phone it in, I wanted to throw my hands in the air and say ‘nobody is getting a newsletter because I can’t think of anything to talk about’. But I reminded myself that I can’t just scroll the less fun parts of life out of the way to get to the next good feeling. Sometimes it sucks and I have to uncomfortably sit with it. I’m trying to form a trustworthy and foundational relationship with my creativity, one that takes time, effort, loyalty, and dedication to build. It’s the good with the bad—and in the end, I hear it’s worth its weight in gold.

If you’re reading this and thinking ‘this article is not for me because I’m not creative’, I hope I can change your mind on that. I’ve never called myself a creative—in fact, I usually deflect the label if someone tries to put it on me. Not only that, I will go as far as pointing out someone who has achieved more success than I, further proving my unworthiness of the title. This year I’ve decided to look at things differently though. I AM creative. It’s not my job, I don’t have credentials at the end of my name to prove it, but deep down I know it to be true. I also happen to know that you’re a creative too.