Things I am embracing as a creative that I used to be ashamed about
People will judge me for taking a non-traditional path. As someone who has certainly not traversed the straight-and-narrow in life, this is something I’ve really struggled with. After traveling all over the world, jumping from job to job and place to place, I’ve spent the last some years trying to button up my life into something that was more digestible for others. Get the Real Job, Make Good Money, Be Normal. And yet. When I finally had the Real Job that would impress people at dinner parties, I was constantly stressed, unhappy and burnt out. Now, I embrace the fact that people might not get what I am doing - and that’s okay. It’s not their path anyway, and I trust in the fact that bringing my unique gifts into the world is what will bring me true success.
My desk is a mess. Yup. I said it. While I do have homes for my supplies, my desk is almost always covered in a smattering of paints, notebooks, pens, paintbrushes, and piles of works in progress. While it may not appear put together, I don’t need it to! It is a sign that I am actively working, creating and playing - and if it were more put together, all of that would be harder to do.
It’s vulnerable. For me, being a creative often involves sharing the messy, unfinished edges of my life with the world. Whether in writing a poem, sharing a post, or storytelling on social media, I am often sharing intimate things with strangers on the internet. And I used to feel weird about that, because it’s not something that everyone does. But now, I embrace the vulnerability as part of my creative path, because it’s what makes my work and my story relatable. And, if it helps one person feel less alone, then that’s an added bonus.