Everyone is creative. We truly all were created to create. However, with that creativity comes responsibility. Responsibility to do your part - to give and give more and try harder and go beyond what you thought you were capable of. Now there is no one person checking in on you to see what you've made or come up with. But in this social media age, really in most any of the ages, there is always someone who made something better or greater or who achieved more.
I say all this because lately I've been feeling PRESSURE - pressure to perform, to have enough work, to make enough money, to be better, to improve more and on and on. I believe there is good pressure and bad pressure. Good pressure comes from within, from your passion to create. This pressure drives you in a positive way. Your concern is for the craft, the clients or the enjoyment. But bad pressure ... ew; bad pressure is a nagging feeling. It stunts growth and traps you in your own little dark hole of worries and fears and what ifs and 'I'm not good enoughs".
Do you ever step back and wonder, "What am I doing?! and Why the heck am I doing this?" (Please catch the tone here - there is an anxiousness about it. This isn't a healthy positive self evaluation. It is a freak out moment.) I have been doing this a lot. If I'm honest with myself, it is stemming from that evil devil of comparison and joy stealing fear of what others think.
As creatives, we work and mold and bend and make art - it is very personal. Then we put ourselves out there, saying, "Here is the product of not only my hard work, but even more, my heart work." Then we wait - for approval, for a purchase, for a client, for likes, for a buyer. This process makes it very hard to find a balance between appreciating ourselves and what we've created and being approved or hired. Basically, it is hard to make money and have the correct creative mindset.
I feel very strongly, that God gives us the opportunities we are each, as individuals, supposed to have. So my creative endeavors will always be different from those of others, even in my same industry. However, when you see your industry peers, movin and shakin and money makin, you can easily start down that slippery slope of negative thinking. I am getting very personal here and it is a little, quite honestly, scary.
Truth is the only thing that keeps me grounded. These truths:
God made me special and unique from anyone else.
God has given me specific talents.
God will give me just the right opportunities for me to use those talents.
God loves me for who I am, not what I do.
The same is true for everyone else. Everyone.
So, I'm hoping and striving for a more truth-filled everyday; every work day. One that grounds me, motivates me, excites me and drives me to continue on in my own creative efforts. No matter where you are or what you do - you are being creative. May you allow the good pressure to produce your best work.
