Creatives have a strange relationship with self-destruction. Art is often monetized rather than appreciated for its raw emotional value, and creative people often believe the only way to extract their ability is through depressive mental states.
Emotional people tend to be the most creative, and also the most susceptible to internal struggles that prevent them from living their life as an experience. By that, I mean they sacrifice the current moment for the sake of pensive pessimism. These artists become attached to their identity as a misunderstood, abnormally conscious individual.
I suspect this may be a result of the history of tortured artists, such as Edgar Allan Poe, which has formed the idea that artists must be completely dedicated to their madness to be successful.
In writing poems with lines such as, “And so, being young and dipt in folly / I fell in love with melancholy, / And used to throw my earthly rest / And quiet all away in jest,” Poe summarized the reality of modern-day romantics throughout his career, which is dangerous to replicate, as he made suffering sound so beautiful.
Creation requires a degree of intelligence and awareness of life, and the ability to express it meaningfully. For people who have spent their lives feeling alienated, happiness is harder to depict than depression, so they instead become comfortable in the gloom. This traps them in a cycle that they convince themselves they don’t have control over, wallowing in the world’s wrongdoings rather than making a change for the better.
I encourage pure happiness to contrast these kinds of people. We can express vulnerability without being self-deprecating. Personally, I’ve mastered expressing optimism in art, uplifting when possible rather than intentionally brooding. Here are a few ways to treat life as an experience:
- Take Risks
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Although taking risks may seem like an ability only the privileged have, there’s beauty in taking risks when you believe you have nothing.
Rather than struggling through a situation for the sake of artistic wisdom that’s likely to come from it, make the decision you fear the most. You’ll either advance yourself or set yourself back, but in either case, you can make another change if the consequences are unfavorable.
Putting in the effort to control your life is far more admirable than making cynical conclusions about the world.
- Focus on One Action At A Time
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When simultaneously considering your many responsibilities, it can become easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why separating yourself from activities you’re not currently doing is often helpful. If you’re studying, don’t worry about a project that’s not due until later. If you’re relaxing, don’t guilt-trip yourself into feeling unproductive by thinking of other things on your to-do list.
Dividing your attention across multiple subjects also divides the effort you put into each one. Anything created in that headspace doesn’t accurately reflect what your mind is capable of.
- Prioritize Your Enjoyment
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Opportunists and workaholics have convinced themselves that pleasure is a burdensome instinct that humanity has moved past. They put their desires aside, thinking this will transform them into the toughened person they aim to be. They value modesty, restraint, discipline, rule-orientation, and social hierarchy. This prevents them from understanding who they are.
Understanding your likes and dislikes should be essential to the human experience, unimpaired by other factors. Passion, which is necessary for creativity, develops as a result of this understanding.
Even this article was written on a whim, conjured by an in-the-moment emotion to ensure I enjoy what I write and describe it authentically.
- Look for love in the world
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Expressing appreciation for humanity is more difficult than criticizing it because it’s easy to be disillusioned.
To avoid disillusionment, it’s crucial to pay close attention to acts of kindness. Conditioning yourself to do so will promote peaceful living and help you create beautiful art.
It’s certainly a healthier mindset, making the creative process more bearable as you consistently learn to look for the good in the happenings around you. The product forms connections founded upon love.
- Value Your Own Opinion
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This is arguably the most important key to living your most authentic life and being able to express it. Upon understanding yourself, you should be able to trust your own judgment when making decisions. Instead of only making art out of topics concerning others, you put your own emotions into it.
To avoid an unstable reaction to failure or collapsing in the face of criticism, strength is best obtained through self-assurance.
The thoughts you feed your mind define it when repeated enough, so nourish it.
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