By Wes Annac, Openhearted Rebellion

Creative folks create, even when we feel like we have nothing to give. We can’t help ourselves, as we are glued to the creative process. It can be a selfish habit we indulge in at the expense of other, more important tasks. The dishes can wait; I have something I need to say!

There is nothing special about creative folks. In fact, we can be messy, flaky and difficult to be around.

We can be undisciplined, preferring only to create when it feels good. We search for motivation knowing full-well we must do the work first and let the inspiration follow. We know to warm up before we write that draft – but we don’t always want to. We know we should learn the rules, but once we do, we prefer to break them. Creative folks are rebels, but our rebellion is not necessarily admirable. At times it can be detrimental.                                        

We like to get lost in what we’re doing, but that’s not always a good thing. Life is full of things that require our attention, but we ignore them with our creative work as a justifiable excuse. It becomes more justifiable if we can make a living from it, but regardless, we treat it as the only tangible thing in our lives.

We can be all over the place, bullying ourselves when we don’t work some days while justifying our lack of effort other days. It is not fun for our loved ones to watch us get on track then fall right back off, and it can be frustrating for them to see us belittle ourselves. It is not easy to be with a creative person, as we are full of neuroses and have little self-control. But at least it’s not boring!

We often force our loved ones to live out our various existential crises with us as if our problems are theirs as well. We get overwhelmed and express our displeasure in the unhealthiest of ways, which is part of the reason we need to create.

We’ve got to find some way to get out all our angst, but on a good day, we prefer to express beauty instead of ugliness. I might paint a sunny sky with my words one day and a black hole the next. Such is the nature of living this rollercoaster of a life as someone who has a lot to say about it all.

Creating is never easy, but the satisfaction you feel when you finish that draft is unparalleled. This is part of what makes it so addictive, but that so-called addiction is driven by an innate, unshakeable feeling that you need to create. If you have that within you, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Something urges you to create even when you really don’t want to. It is a nagging feeling that will always be there no matter how long you go without writing, drawing or picking up the guitar.

Listen to that voice. It might make you neurotic and put you on a difficult path, but it is worth all the stress and fears of inadequacy. It is far more rewarding than it is detrimental. If you’re called from within to create, it’s because there is something in you begging to express itself. Let it out and let it shape you into the writer, musician or artist you know you are.

Creative folks create. We can’t help ourselves and we can’t be reasoned with. Nor should we.