For this post, I’m using the term “creative artifact” to mean anything created by someone and put out (published) into the world. A creative artifact can be a blog post, book, song, video, etc.
The Struggle of Starting
I believe there is an evolutionary arc that accompanies the creative process. The beginning of this arc is a fragile time for an artist or creator. They’re struggling to find their voice. And often–simultaneously–to learn their craft.
Much of what they create may be starkly personal. It may not connect well with anyone because it lacks any universal appeal. I believe this period–and its associated struggle–is important and necessary.
Unless a creator is already well known, a creative artifact that leans too heavily towards the personal may have limited appeal. There’s little for the audience to latch onto and say: “This is about me!”, “I resonate with this.”, or something similar.
On the other hand, creative artifacts that are too universal may seem dry.
Consider a corporate training video. It may be very informative, but it may lack emotional resonance with its audience.
I think successful creative artifacts contain a unique mixture of the personal and the universal. I believe both qualities are needed to create something that resonates with others.
When a creator’s skill in honing the raw creative material of their spirit reaches a certain level, they begin to express themselves most profoundly.
Write Whatever You Can
If you want to be a writer, there is no substitute for honing your abilities. And there should be a real effort towards learning the technical aspects of the craft. But, I think it’s better to write something deemed subpar than to write nothing at all.
If we’re inclined to put in the effort, writing can allow us to solidify what we think. And to learn about our own beliefs–which will likely be more nuanced than we expected. That quality (of allowing us to structure our thoughts) alone makes personal writing worth it, even if no one ever reads it.
We have to crawl before we can walk. And sometimes, we have to write nonsense before we can gain clarity. If we never work to structure our subconscious muck, we’ll never get to the good stuff.
Depending on your situation, you may not have anything but the “personal” to write about. It’s a wall you must break through to allow in the universal and find balance. So keep going!
Discard The Deeply Negative
As a final note, if you’re in a headspace that’s deeply negative and it’s affecting your ability to be at peace or have clarity, then I don’t believe the output from that space should be focused on. Instead, the energy from that space should be let go of.
I grew up listening to metal bands like Metallica, Megadeth, and Pantera. I know how cathartic listening to angry and negative music can be. And I think an important aspect of life would be missed without being able to express negativity through creative means.
But you don’t have to be angry or negative to express those aspects of the human experience–you merely need to know about those aspects.
To help with working through negativity. I recommend building a “Negativity Burning” habit (or something similar).
Making a habit of constructively confronting and dealing with negativity has worked wonders in my life.
You can check out my post on this here:
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