So often I hear people say to me that they would like to create something; be it start a small business, or drawing, posting content online or anything else, but the fear of failure is overwhelming.
As a perfectionist myself, I can understand this frustration, and the contrast between wanting to be free to express yourself in any manner, but the fear of being inadequate and ‘failing’. I really would like to say that you don’t need to be particularly good at something in order to keep doing it. Like any skill, you get better at these things with time and no one starts off perfect at anything. Like riding a bike, you can pick up where you left off at any time, and train yourself to become a better creator.
One of the biggest passions I have, and have always had is creating. As long as I can remember I’ve been making random things, from my bizarre humanoid dog characters I’d draw as a child, to very embarrassing poems I wrote as a teen, songs, watercolour and digital art, photography, cosplay, makeup designs and, later on, content creation and digital content. I’ve spent the past 10 years trying to improve at these hobbies, and slowly learning new things along the way.
However, part of me still feels a little pain over the fact that we must improve at what we are doing. Who says that the artist who started painting a month ago creates pieces that hold less meaning than someone who has been painting for years? Of course, for long term hobbyists, the improvement is evident and, without a doubt, impressive. You could look at two paintings and easily see who the ‘better’ artist is. Despite this, there still exists forms of art in which there is no hierarchy based on skill, and many modern artists create thought provoking pieces without as much as picking up a paint brush. Many people use this example, but Van Gogh was so under appreciated during his lifetime that he died thinking he was a failure. However, he never regretted being an artist, even stating “In Spite of everything, I shall rise again; I shall take up my pencil which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing”. That is to say, the drive to create requires resilience, and a level of courage. You should not be driven by external factors, but rather to express many things about yourself, regardless of who is watching.
I will be honest, many times with how the world is it can be easy to think to yourself, what is the point of all this. I log into Facebook and see my friends who have more ‘normal’ hobbies, and occasionally feel embarrassed that I can’t be more like them, and that I will always be unconventional due to my lifestyle choices and hobbies. It would probably be a better use of my time to learn a more ‘valuable’ skill, I often think. However, it seems like whenever I feel this way, I’ll notice something incredible that someone close to me has done, all because of their own creative vision and passions. Recently, I saw my friend Jenny design a beautiful heisei retro inspired shirt. I saw Linda take beautiful, balletcore photos of the newest Sanrio collection. There are countless people around you who may feel the same way, and despite that, they keep creating. And of course, art is part of human nature. Nietzsche famously said that art is the most human thing possible, a pure impulse to express yourself.
If I were to compare humans to angels, we have the ability to decide ourselves what our purpose is. We have the ability to make mistakes, be right or wrong, and, therefore, choose what path(s) to take in life, regardless of how they overlap or intertwine with each other. Angels are instead, following a predetermined route much like public transport. Their very purpose that means they are alive is carrying out this ‘purpose’, because they are essentially divine machines. To stray from this purpose, they would become something else entirely. Thankfully, we don’t have the same problem! Regardless of if you believe fate is predetermined or not, we, thankfully, have the choice, or the illusion of choice, to follow the path that we believe suits us best.
So, to answer the question as to why you should create, it is up to you if you want to choose between the tangible and the intangible. The love you gave, the art you made and how you touched the lives of others, even if it was only one person, is ultimately the reason why many of us create. To feel that we chose contribution instead of accumulation. To connect with your inner self which allows you to connect with others. To me, creating seems like the harder choice considering that you face a lot of uncertainty. However, it’s a choice that you make knowing that success is not the only measure of your ability to create and be happy. You are choosing to learn more about yourself in the process, and to learn how to be authentic to that.
Anyway, that’s just my thoughts on creation as a topic…! I hope this was interesting to read ^^
Evie xox ♪ ☆
