Having lived and worked with multiple artists, I now realize how difficult it is for them to find the right balance between their social life and their art. If you wake up in the morning and all you can think about is writing and playing music, know that you’re not alone.
If, when someone ask you ‘What do you do for fun’ the first thing that comes to your mind is being in the studio creating music, know that it is a beautiful thing and you shouldn’t feel bad, the way you are is a blessing.
Artists are incredible human beings who see the world through a different lens, they are vehicles of culture, they allow us to connect with other people on a deeper level. They strive to find the right words and sounds to express themselves and they end up creating stories that everyone can relate to. Therefore it makes total sense that they are not interacting the same way as ‘non creative’ people because they perceive things differently.
We live in a society where artists are misunderstood, we encourage creativity but we don’t take the time to understand how artists feel and process the world around them. I’ve been asked several times: How can I keep my creative space in a world that revolves around so much social expectations? Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you embrace the artist in you!
– Surround yourself with people who get it/ get you.
It’s essential that people understand how you work, that you need your creative space, your desire to create/play music is deeply-rooted, it is a part of you and your circle should understand and respect the amount of time you dedicate to your art.
– Let go of social pressure / expectations
We won’t change the world over night. It is important that you accept that some people will always pressure you to change. You’re doing something that is not concrete for logical and non-creative people. They will always try to make you doubt yourself. Be confident and know that you are on the right path because you’re embracing the gift you’ve been given.
– Don’t be so hard on yourself
I see so many artists beat themselves up because they feel like they are not ‘normal’ or not ‘good enough’, that their art is not worthy. I believe we can use negative emotions to fuel creativity. However, as an artist, its important to take the time to identify your emotions and see the kind of impact it has on your creative process. Check out ‘emotional intelligence’ if you’d like to get further information on this topic!
by Charlotte Gomes 08-04-2016
