As a creative adult, have you ever felt like being in the arts categorized you to a mysterious group of people who lived and thought differently from the rest?
This is who we are- a passionate bunch of weirdos who baffle the rest, living off our emotions and being told we won't fit into a structured setting- and yes, most of us can't stand the thought of a regular 9-5 behind a desk. "I day dream too much!" Busy dreaming about what you would be making instead.
The ability to sit down for hours on end, working and enjoying yourself, sometimes even being disappointed by the result, wanting to give up but then being lured back by the beauty of it all. You don't stop until it's done- it dazzles people!
"How can you put yourself through all this?" they'll ask.
"it just comes naturally"
Re-read the paragraph above- that sort of work ethic is what makes winners.
The creative process makes you determined and pushes you to overcome the obstacles in front of you. "There has to be a way" you'll tell yourself- and eventually you will find a way.
If you're a creative person who had to take on a normal job because of financial constraints- you know you have an edge over the others. Your approach was most probably different, and you saw things the others couldn't.
it's a shame that everyone else has to be left out of this perspective- yes art and craft is fun. It can be silly and it can make no sense at all. But there is a mountain of technique you need to learn- once you get the itch, you have to move ahead. If you learnt how to shade, you will want to draw something amazing. Every drawing after that will be a little bit better- just flip through your sketch book once and it's crystal clear that you've made progress.
1) Becoming 1% better everyday
Becoming 1% better everyday is how you make permanent success, thats the Kaizen way.
2) Learn about systems
When you began you didn't know how to structure your drawings, maybe your stationery was scattered around the house, maybe you didnt think about the right light source for the drawing before you began. But eventually you learned, and drawing #100 is much easier to do than drawing #1 was- you know how to start, where to adjust and what skill to improve next.
3) Break down a process into small manageable steps
Have you ever shown some one your finished art work and they're just blown away by how difficult it looks?
But you know exactly how you got there- its about the process, and every stroke makes sense to you. It all has a purpose.
4) Deal with disappointments
Art is hard, and social media does nothing to soothe you there. If you've been down the Pinterest rabbit hole, you also probably left feeling awe struck and inspired by people's immense talent. And then you planned a project- and it probably didn't turn out how you wanted it to. You've got to dust yourself off and try again- its the only way to achieve glory!
5) Overcome your insecurities
10 years ago I was intimidated by art. I didn't think I was cut out for it, and i still feel the insecurity creeping inside me when I see amazing work. But I also feel a rush of excitement, and I want to learn how to do that! It's helped me build the confidence to just go for it- and I've seen myself apply this in other areas of life too.
Imagine what the world would look like if we were all given the chance to explore these things? They're valuable life skills that any doctor or engineer could benefit from too. They will help you professionally and socially, and they will teach you how to deal with your emotions- that's something we've been missing in our school curriculum for too long now.
So go ahead and learn to create, if you're not creative give it a shot, and don't feel shy about it. And if you're already creative- keep going and help some one who isn't to try it out.