A Letter To The Creative

To the creatives; the perpetually curious, the insatiably explorative, the rebellious with a cause:

We are purposeful creatures, inhaling and exhaling the world, questioning, interpreting, and designing, in hopes to shorten the distance between our minds and our souls.

We are deconstructing the world and assembling it in new ways. We are a paradox- blissfully chaotic in our loosened grip of logic and absolutes. We are the meditative mind-focused but unattached, compulsive but controlled.

Who are we?

We tend to assign the label of creative to those who pursue artistic careers, such as photographers and painters. But we can be much broader than that; creatives are the ones who exercise freedom of expression and embrace individuality in everything they do. Creatives are those who don’t just accept the world, but try to make sense of their surroundings and design their own reality. We discover ourselves and find meaningful ways to connect with our universe through various outlets. The way we dress, the way we approach obstacles, the way we structure our days- all involve creative thinking.

Side note: I know a lot of photographers who are less creative than my parents, who used to make us sing Happy Birthday in the shower as kids to get us to stop crying and spit Legos at us to make us smile for pictures. The point being that your career does not define your level of creativity.

The art of vulnerability, the vulnerability of art.

Creativity forces you to expose yourself. When we stop associating ‘vulnerability’ with weakness, we become open to a new level of connection – an intimacy that creativity fuels between our minds and our spirits. It is at that exact point that we become creators, able to tap into the energy that surrounds us and develops our individuality. I’ve grown to realize that our perspectives are the only thing we have to offer, and they entirely shape our experiences. Our creations are the manifestations of those perspectives. Our art is the physical expression of the emotions we can only access when we have the courage to explore them. Creativity simultaneously draws us inward and outward as we express ourselves by understanding ourselves.

Later, hater.

As creatives, we become part of a community that supports each other in our willingness to explore ourselves and this world. That is absolutely not to say that you will not face rejection- it’s almost inevitable. Not every medium or audience will be right for you. However, when the purpose of your creativity is not to please an audience, but to express yourself, you don’t take that judgement as a grade of your work, but as a matter of another’s perspective. Your art, just like your identity, will not be for everybody.

Bare your soul.

No matter what you create or how you produce it, keep digging deep and staying open to your surroundings. Let the world rock you to your core and shake everything you think you know. Don’t get so stuck in your beliefs that you can’t see beyond yourself or be afraid to adapt. Sometimes you have to throw away the rules and challenge yourself to think outside of your comfort zones to develop your perspectives. Ask ‘what if’ and never be afraid to contribute your ideas to this world. After all, you’re the only one who can!

From one to another,

E