Being creative and making works of art, writing, or carrying out any other form of self-expression is essential for a person to have a balanced and fulfilled life.
However, many of us hold ourselves back from doing creative activities. There are several myths that people believe when it comes to art and creativity. In this post, I’d like to discuss the top myths that prevail in life and why you shouldn’t allow them to stop you from creating works of art.
Only some people are gifted
There’s an all-pervasive and completely untrue myth that creativity is a gift that only a few people possess. We look at work done by others, often the best work posted on social media, and compare our own sketches and attempts to theirs. We believe too quickly that we aren’t creative.
However, everyone has a creative side to them. The important thing to remember that your creativity may not appear in conventional ways. Your particular creative abilities may manifest in forms that are not typically considered art.
Creativity can appear as drawing, writing blog content, acting, or even starting a business. The biggest favor you can do for yourself is to open your mind and express yourself in a way that’s authentic and relevant to you.
Creativity is natural and requires little effort
This particular myth about creativity is harmful because believing it stops many talented people from reaching their greatest potential.
As any creative genius will tell you, doing creative works is hard work. Artists, writers, businesspersons, and others often dedicate their lives to a craft. They work on their creative works several hours a day even if they have normal jobs and responsibilities.
Take a look at the habits of creative geniuses. Many of them put in sheer hard work to make their art or business come to life.
It’s important to recognize doing creative work is really about effort. It can often be frustrating just like any other job and is something you just need to push through.
Inspiration leads to creative works
According to Steven Pressfield, renowned writer, you’re visited by the creative muses only when you’ve done the work first. This is quite the opposite of what many people believe about creativity.
The common notion is that you have to feel good, be in the right state of mind, and wait for inspiration to dazzle you into motion.
However, if this were true, we would have few creative works in the world today.
The truth is that inspiration is borne out of hard work. Hard work is not triggered by some kind of inspirational revelation.
It is vital that you commit to working on your creativity to bring out inspiration instead of the other way around. If you want to write a book, try freewriting as a powerful way to get into a state of flow. Planning to start a business? Don’t wait for things to fall in place. Start reaching out to people you know, seek funds, set up a website, and take action.
There’s a need for trust when you’re being creative. Unlike having a job or studying in school, there’s no clear result or expectation waiting for like a salary or a certificate. You need to work and give your best and let the outcomes of your creative work happen as they will.
So, to explore your creative side, you’ll have to work first and trust that inspiration will appear later.
Conclusion
We’ve just looked at some of the most pervasive myths surrounding creativity that society tends to believe. As a result of these beliefs being so widespread, many people do not meet their potential in life.
It’s essential to respect and bring out creativity if you want to feel happy and fulfilled.
Start by taking small steps like attending an online course or investing in a few art supplies. You can use almost any material within your reach to make an object of interest.
Take the time to focus on your creativity, and you’ll find it rewarding and life-affirming.