Focus on the right things. Do you know who you are?
The reason I’m writing about the traits of chronic creators is because it is important we understand who we are, and to know why we do what we do. From the “two types of people” I speak of, the non-creators will not understand why you do what you do, and that’s hard to take, when you don’t understand that either. So, first things first. Who are you?
Recap of trait identities, Two Types of People: Chronic Creative or Not? Part I
As chronic creators, we are curious, playful and need to interject in some way our own form of expression, which is just as natural and critical as breathing air. I’m not necessarily talking about “genius.” The last newsletter spoke of a chronic creator’s traits, such as the complexity of our personality, our large reserves of physical energy and ability to focus, followed by the need to recharge and reflect, an important part of the discernment process to establish the value of our creative output. We are good at divergent and convergent thinking. It’s wonderful to imagine lots of ideas, but we need to have the ability to discern; to weed out the good from the bad.
As stated in Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly (pronounced MEE-high Chick-sent-me-high-ee or “Mr. C.” with apologies), “It happens very often that some persons brimming with brilliance, whom everyone thinks of as being exceptionally creative, never leave any accomplishment, any trace of their existence—except, perhaps, in the memories of those who have known them.”
That’s where most of us will fall, but that’s alright if we have learned to live a creative life, filled with endeavors that align with our souls, this need for playful expression, making something “better” than it was, however that is defined and the quest for beauty, which again, is subjective.
If friends, family and partners don’t understand us, then how is a future employer, client, or business associate going to understand you?
If you are a chronic creative, you know that everyone is not wired the same way you are. You’ve got friends who go to bars or wind up at concerts for socializing who could care less about the music. It’s as if they didn’t even hear it. It is estimated that 5-10% of the population have a neurological condition that prevents them from responding to art or music, called “anhedonia.” They are less influenced by popular culture and social trends. They don’t get an emotional high from the melody, tempo or frequency range, whether it is Vivaldi’s sprightly feel-good “The Four Seasons” or the funky movement of “Let’s Groove Tonight,” by Earth, Wind and Fire.
But even if a person is not an anhedoniac, there are many who can take or leave creativity, the “Steady Eddies” and the “Prudent Paulines.” You know, the people who might hold the creative budget purse strings to decide whether you can make rent next month.
If friends, family and partners don’t understand us, then how is a future employer, client, or business associate going to understand you? Getting and sustaining paid creative work is what we’re talking about.
You do that by selling yourself and your work. You probably already like to talk about your work, but can you say the same about yourself? People connect with people they can relate to. People they like. I won’t tell you to take out the nose septum ring, hide your tattoos, or not dye your hair blue. If you are comfortable with risking creative work because of the way you look, go for it—it’s your business.
I’m just saying, you’re the one seeking a business relationship with someone who can line your pockets with cash, so—if it were me—and it was me, not long ago—I’d conform to stay in their comfort zone first, get the work, earn trust through being responsible and doing good work, and then gradually let them get to know the real you. Don’t ever assume you get a free pass from anybody’s biases. Otherwise, they may view you as “different,” but that doesn’t mean they want to do business with you.
I remember a proposal presentation where I wore a red Italian watch which had a habit of sneaking out of my suit sleeve and it caused a distraction every time it did so. I could see everybody’s eyes look at my wrist, as I desperately tried to keep my sleeve from hiking up my arm, as I marked up the white board. My presentation was fine, but the decision-maker was nonplused and probably couldn’t explain why I didn’t land at the top to be chosen to help write the script they needed. He was distracted, setting off an alarm signal in his head. That damned watch. When dealing with people, details matter.
The traits that often determine the ability to forge a creative life
I attribute this next set of traits identified by Mr. C., to any success I have had in individual projects, such as design work with graphic packaging, branding initiatives, new product introductions, musical performances, or journalism to enable me to live my creative life.
The play that goes along with exploring new ideas is referred to “detached attachment.” If we didn’t inject discipline into the creative process, we are not reality-based.
We have a strong work ethic
As Mr. C points out in his book, “this playfulness doesn’t go very far without its antithesis, a quality of doggedness, endurance, perseverance. Much hard work is necessary to bring a novel idea to completion and to surmount the obstacles a creative person inevitably encounters. Despite the carefree air that many creative people affect, most of them work late into the night and persist when less driven individuals would not.”
Responsibility. Harboring a strong work ethic to meet deadlines is crucial in the business world. I’ve seen and felt the deadline beast breathing down my neck at 3:30 a.m. more than I care to remember.
We are wired for reality thinking
If we didn’t inject discipline into the creative process, we are not reality-based. “Creative individuals alternate between imagination and fantasy at one end, and a rooted sense of reality at the other. Both are needed to break away from the present without losing touch with the past.”
Creative people, it seems, are original without being bizarre. The novelty they see is rooted in reality.
So, we are conflicted not only between play and discipline; but wanting to be irresponsible (connected with the need to play) knowing we must be responsible.
Mr. C. says, “Creative people, it seems, are original without being bizarre. The novelty they see is rooted in reality.”
This is good to know, but it’s great to hear someone with authority, actually say it! That is a strong personal selling point, one that the other type of person who may not understand creatives, needs to hear. Let them know you’re wired to be based in reality!
We’ll even wash the dishes
Finally, I have always wondered why it’s so hard to get me out socially, but once I’m at someone’s home for dinner or meeting people at a bar, I’m the last to leave, having had a great time. I’ll even do the after-dinner dishes for the host if it’s a dinner party.
Mr. C. says we swing back and forth on the extrovert-introvert continuum. “Creative individuals seem to express both traits at the same time.”
As writers, we spend a great deal of time alone doing our thing, as an introvert. The day goes by and we remain happy, if not downright animated and giddy without the intrusion of friends and family. I suppose I’ve underestimated the need to mix and mingle in idle or stimulating conversation to aid the process of creativity?
The way we chronic creatives think, our interactions could be introductions to new characters or broadening ideas that lead to revelations and recombination’s that lead to other ideas, people we have yet to meet or new world building.
And it just keeps getting better
In “Two Types of People: Chronic Creative or Not? Part III,” I talk about more traits that make us special people who have lots to offer the world around us. Thanks for reading!
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) (p. 51- 64). (Function). Kindle Edition.