– Pearl S. Buck

You have no idea how close to home this quote hits. I have loved art and writing since I was a child. I would often draw or create short stories that reflected who I was at the time. When I wasn’t creating, I felt lost. Suppressed. Insignificant. Even now when I go a few days let alone a week, I become moody and a bit antsy. Creating is like using spices to me. Yes, I could survive off of bland food, but I can guarantee that I will not be a happy person because of it.

This is one of the reason why I have always said that I had to be with someone who not only appreciates art, but also creates it as well (this includes all forms of art). My personal belief is that artists should be with other artists. I say this because we are the only ones that really understand what each other is going through. There is a bit of a temperament about us that not many can handle. We go through extreme bouts of despair, incomparable joy, and crippling fear.

Often times we don’t feel good enough. We feel that our work will go unnoticed. When things go wrong, we feel that our world is crashing down around us. When we love, we love hard. We see nothing but the best in that person even when they aren’t good for us. Our entire being becomes brighter. We push harder. We let that person in deeper than anyone else. When that illusion shatters, it can be devastating. But when it’s true, it will bring out the best in us.

Basically, everything is heightened. And when we’re suppressed it’s all dull. Clouded. We begin to drift along never being able to see past our own blockades to a future. Some stay there. Some let it eat at them until all that beautiful creativity is as dead as their heart. It’s a painful thing to watch, but a path some take. While others may use their gifts to relieve themselves of the pain they feel. Letting out the darkness allows for a little bit more light.

Creativity by definition “is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.” (Source) You go beyond what you know. You interpret the world differently. A sunrise looks completely different to a painter than it does a person who would prefer accounting. The closest way the accountant would be able to see what the painter sees is through the painting they may produce (I’m not saying accountants can’t be creative, but some people view the world more logically than others).

To create is to pull from your environment and mind and put out something that, although is influenced by other things, is uniquely a part of you. It speaks for you, when your voice fails. Even with all of its emotional ups and downs I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Peace,