One of the hardest things for me in life has been accepting the fact that my mind doesn’t work like everyone else’s. For the people who really know me, they know that is an understatement of epic proportions. I’ve come to terms with the fact that my brain is just wired differently. As someone with a creative mind, you’ll understand what I am talking about.
The creative mind can be one of the most chaotic and beautiful things you can imagine. I spent a dozen years in an industry that allowed for little to no creativity, and now that I have embraced my creative nature I find myself frustrated with other people who don’t understand what it is like to have a wild, free-flowing, creative mind. Feeling misunderstood in any sense can be ultra-frustrating. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are just some things that I need to quit expecting from the world when it comes to the way my brain works.
If you consider yourself a creative mind like I do, this is a list of things that you should just stop expecting from the world. Embrace your creativity and let the rest of the world stand around and cock their eyebrows at you.
People to “Get” You
One thing that bugs me the most about embracing my creativity is when people don’t understand the way my brain works. I used to push people away because I thought they just didn’t “get” me. Well, the problem with that mentality is the fact that I don’t get them either. We are all different, and that’s okay. I used to try to explain myself to people and finally just got to the point where I say, “that’s just the way my brain works.” No more explanation. No excuses. Just me being me, and being okay with that. Just like I can’t understand how someone can be an accountant because I don’t like math, I can’t hold it against them for not understanding my creative mind because they don’t feel the same way.
Understanding the Creative Process
One thing I learned early on in writing for a living was that I definitely have a “creative process”. There are days that I stare at my keyboard for hours and can’t manage to string three words together. There are days that I write 3000 words before I realized that my hands have even moved. People don’t understand that it is just that: a process. If you happen to be the one creative person in an office of workers, you know this struggle all too well. A creative mind has to be in the right mindset to create. I know that sounds redundant, but it’s true. You mix in things like stress and worry, and it can completely derail the creative process. We can’t expect people to understand how our brains work but we can at least be honest about it. If there are things on your mind that keep you from doing what it is that you do when you are creative, address those issues first.
Research Shows that Keeping a Journal is Great for the Mind, Body, and Soul
Validation
One thing I’ve really had to deal with in working in a creative environment is that the results aren’t always tangible. I can pour my heart and soul into something and not see results. When I was working in the IT industry, there was constant validation by being able to fix something that was broken. When it comes to creating something you don’t always see that instant validation. Sure, I can see how many people have read something, or how many likes a post gets on Facebook, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve actually made a connection with anyone.
It could mean they like the title or the picture and didn’t even read the article. The same goes for musicians and other artists: art is subjective. The important thing is that YOU are proud of what you produce. YOU are the only person you need to impress with your work.
In the end, I’ll never regret embracing my creative mind – and neither should you. Yes, it can be a difficult transition to make. People aren’t going to understand some of the things you do, but if it feels right in your heart that is all that matters. This is your life. Live it.
