Sunday 12 September 2010

Creativity

First up, I want to say that I have not been reading up on this. These are just my thoughts, what I see as being the case.

Having written a couple of poems, a short story and a novel (Work in progress), I do consider myself to be a writer. It is in this medium that I have found a way to express myself creatively. Coming as I do from a family of artists (all of my family draw very well, my grandfather was a sculptor, and my step-grandmother a portrait artist), this has come as a relief, since I had previously not found any other medium for creativity. I did play music for many years, one instrument in particular performing the role of 'therapy' for my frustrations with life (mostly teenage), but I never felt that that was a creative outlet for me as such.

One thing that I have always sought - particularly with my novel, for some reason not so much with my first poem or my short story - has been feedback. A need to check that what I'm writing is 'OK' - whatever that is. Essentially: do other people like it?

I have chatted to several writer-friends about this insecurity, and what I have found is that, to a man (or woman), we are all insecure about our writing. Even those who are published question their ability to write. Even when we receive praise, it is very easy for the doubts to set in again.

I wonder if it is only writers who experience such doubts, or if other creative pursuers - artists, musicians, etc - have the same problems. I would be interested to hear any thoughts.

2 comments:

  1. You already know my thoughts on this subject! What tortured souls we are!

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  2. We are indeed tortured souls. our work is often our efforts to exorcise demons of sorts, to stretch creative fingers, to dare to dream or face the waiting dark. And so those words are our soul - the blood of our heart. And who else gets feedback, reviews, comments, criticisms, suggestions about their dreams, their meanderings? We must remember to be tender with each other, even more than we would be with others, because it is our beating hearts we offer with every word.

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