Speaking of creativity, I set up a little social media side project. I’m not ready to invite a bunch of people yet, but it’s where I get a lot of inspiration.
Like this video of comedian Patton Oswalt talking about creativity.
A group member shared it with me yesterday, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it. Oswalt’s talking points are SO MY EXPERIENCE with being a creator. I cried the first time. Then I wanted to hug him.
Whether you’re a creator or know someone who is, you need to watch this video.
Seriously, it’s only five minutes. I’ll wait.
I think my first takeaway was asking myself questions about my own behavior: How many times have I stifled someone else’s creativity? Are there times when I could be more supportive? Do I owe anyone an apology for stomping all over their juju?
Because let me tell you, I KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE. Creators talk about their ideas because they’re an extension of passion. They burble up like a geyser, and trying to contain them is like putting a stopper in a geyser. As soon as too much pressure builds, that stopper’s gonna blow.
For most creators, it is SO HARD to share part of that super-heated water and steam and get “Here’s why that won’t work.”
And I’ve done it to creators. Hundreds or maybe even thousands of times. I don’t even want to contemplate how much penance or karma I’m being smacked by as a result of my own poor choices with others. I’m sure that’s why I’m getting a hefty dose of it myself.
But from listening to Oswalt talk, I’m not unique. EVERY CREATOR deals with negative nellies, people who shit all over a person’s creative ideas and flow. Our entire publishing industry is built on the notion of writing what will sell, sticking to the very defined rules of a genre, and watering down a project every time someone says, “That won’t work. Do this instead.”
So watch this video. I’m going to use it the next time I start to tell someone how their idea won’t work, and I’m going to be their cheerleader instead. I hope you will, too.
Creators who reach for their dreams make EVERYTHING POSSIBLE.
Check out my books here.
And if you’re in a spendy reading mood, please buy them direct from my publisher HERE.
Image credit: pattonoswalt.com
2 Comments
To a poet, the entire world can seem like a negative nellie. I mean, if the poet isn’t utterly grateful for the poems, the reality of nobody on earth caring about them can be a load to bear. Hmm. Maybe a load to bare.
Exactly. Poetry elevates our discourse. It’s a counter to so much of the dreck.
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