Myths & Magic in a Creative Life
Creative careers hold a place between reality and myth. Some of what creatives do looks too much like leisure, laziness, or fun to be real work. Much of the work is intangible and immeasurable for long stretches of time and there are no guaranteed outcomes. It’s not surprising that stereotypes and cliches have developed to define the creative lifestyle. Over the last 18 months of my author-illustrator journey I’ve enjoyed uncovering which are truly myths, and which are actually, pure magic. Here is my (incomplete) list of creative Myths and Magic, let me know if I’ve missed any that you’ve found to be especially powerful.
The IG-typical Writer – MAGIC!
You’ve probably seen this image on Instagram: A young woman in fluffy socks sits in a cozy window seat with a leatherbound notebook and steaming mug of tea #writer #writingvibes. Basic as it may be, there is a lot of truth in this image. Specifically, I am talking about the notebook, the tea, and the socks.
The notebook - Many famous writers still handwrite in notebooks. They may freehand their entire manuscript, scribble notes for later, or just empty random thoughts onto the page. It is the physical and intimate act of handwriting that matters and it is alive and well.
The tea - Performing a simple ritual before sitting down to write or draw is often used by author-illustrators as the physical signal of a spiritual change in frequency. The message to the body and mind is that it is time to sit down to the very special work of making something.
The socks – Creative work is emotional. The workday is fraught with highs and lows. A cozy pair of socks is a simple comfort in the lows.
The Lone Wolf – MYTH.
You’ve probably seen this one too: Deep in the woods inside a secluded cabin, a reclusive writer in sweatpants bangs away at a typewriter with only cricket song for company. You can swap the cabin for a beach house, the sweatpants for yoga pants, but the message stays the same – writing is solitary, lonely work. There is some truth here but in all the ways that matter, the ways that might keep us from doing what we love, this is a myth.
The writers and artists that I have come to know don’t fear alone time, but they genuinely love connection to their peers, friends, family, and nature. I meet with a group of four author-illustrators every week. We share our work, free write, set goals, and, importantly, we gently nudge each other to try what is scaring us, comfort each other during the lows, and provide the lifeline back to inspiration when the well runs dry. I do spend a lot of time alone, but the fingerprints of my colleagues are all over my work, and my work is the better for it.
That said, sometimes we’re stressed and under deadline and everyone just needs to go away for a bit. Not a lone wolf, maybe more of house cat.
The Artist Date – MAGIC!
The Artist Date is that part of creative work that looks way too fun to be real. Julia Cameron coined the phrase in her book The Artist’s Way where she defines it as time set aside to “fill the well, stock the pond.” Artist Dates are for exploration, observation, and play. When I started out, these days felt indulgent. It took a few months for me to realize that they are what they claim to be – well-filling, pond-stocking, soil-fertilizing – in other words they are business critical. My Artist Dates this year have spanned the spectrum from visiting the Art Institute of Chicago and Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens to painting Mondrian-inspired cat portraits. Each one has done something different and important that I can, in hindsight, trace direct lines of value from my current work to a moment that sparked back there on the Artist Date.
The Emotional Rollercoaster – MAGIC!
Hear me out on this one. The creative workday is fraught with highs and lows. The compounding factor is that creative work is so personal. While maintaining a mindfulness practice has helped me smooth out the extremes, I believe the emotional rollercoaster is part of creative work, and here is why I think it is magic…
Highs come in many forms and their value is undeniable. Productivity means lots of tangible output, inspiration leads to bravery, and positive feedback is validating and uplifting. Lows can be devastating. A dry well of ideas, the death of a beloved project, negative or (worse) lukewarm feedback. Lows are also valuable. From the comfort of my cozy socks, lows are the time for me to step back and reframe. They are the opportunity to flush the system (also known as having a good cry), to take rest, to lean on my creative community, and reconnect with why I chose this life to begin with.
The GiftedFew – MYTH.
The saddest myth about creativity is that some people are born gifted with it, and others are not. There are certainly gifted artists in the world, but creativity is for everyone. Look no further than my first-grade class of art students to see that we are all born creative and that creativity manifests in as many unique ways as there are unique people. I believe it is our shared genetic inheritance as a species and belongs to anyone who wants to pursue it. Gifted is wonderful, but so is courage, discipline, tenacity, and devotion. All that to say, don’t let this myth keep you from doing what is in your heart.