Think of a creator. They're the person who played music and sports; they draw, dance, write, and photograph. You feel like every other month they're starting some new project, launching a new business, or learning a new craft! You'd call them artsy; they seem like a sort of genius in the simplest of ways. If you're like me, all of that rings true, personally. I can't dance, but that's a story nightmare for a different day. And if you're like me, you know that having a creative mind can be a struggle. It's a blessing and a curse. This is my life as a creative mind!

I Can't Commit

I really want to be a great guitar player, but the more I play, the more I think about what the drums or bass would be playing. So, instead of focusing on my guitar chops, I end up playing another instrument. I really want to start a side-project all about poetry and art. And yet, here I am, finding myself enraptured by photography and article writing, instead. No complaints though!
You want to be a professional "X", but you'd love to do "Y", and –honestly– you'll end up spending more time doing "Z" no matter what you want. This is the actual life-story of how I, a piano player, am now a guitarist, drummer, photographer, and writer. I wanted to be a professional musician, but I decided I'd love to be a Music or Creative Director at a church, and now I'm spending more time with my camera than anything else. I finally sit down to do my math homework and I'm pumped about it! Five minutes later, I'm dying because I have been divinely inspired to finish a literature paper. You open up your laptop and your mind is somehow blank! That's me; I hate myself (jk).

I Can't Think Straight

Let's say you finally do pick a craft –FINALLY! What's next? Obviously, you have to experiment with at least four or five genres or styles! It's a business, side-project, and hobby.

LOOK AT ME! I'm in the middle of taking a portrait in the woods and suddenly I realize this is the perfect spot to film a sci-fi horror movie. I eat hamburgers and asian food during the same meal. I want water and soda. I turn the A/C to hot or cold and then turn on a high-power fan or put on a thick jacket. I literally cannot do something the simple way. The wheels inside my head are moving and I have to do whatever it takes to keep up with my own mental energy lest I become the sack of potatoes that I actually am.

I'm Not Cool (I know I'm a bad liar, mom)

This would be a cool fantastic click-bait article title because it's not actually the truth about what I'm about to say. It's not that I'm not actually cool…I'm so trendy it hurts the people I love the most (jk). I'm fabulous.

The issue is: by the time I become what I think is cool, what I thought was cool is now lame. Thus, I have become lame. By the time I figure out how I want to wear the newest fashion trend, I'm already tired of it and looking for something else new. The Forever 21, ZARA, and Topman apps are my…my unhealthy friends who encourage my bad spending habits. That's just an easy example.

I Will Succeed

I know a lot of people who are not creative minds. We get the same grades; we're all Business Management majors. We all sit on our phones all day; we all do fun and creative things. The difference is that they are getting their degree so they can go into the field of work their degree equips them for, which is great. I'm getting my degree so that I can go into a field of work I was not trained for, which is scary. It's confusing, painful, and frustrating most of the time. One year, I know exactly what my future will look like; two months later, I unlock a new skill-set, level up, and have no clue what I'm doing with my life (my XP is ballin' though). But, if you identify with me at all, here's the good news: we will succeed. We may not hit a home-run the first time; we may burn through a couple different hobbies and potential careers. But, we will succeed. You and I will find something that turns the chaos in our heads into progress. Our energy becomes our income, and we will do exactly what we were made to do. It takes time; it's a journey. After all, life is not about the finish line, but rather, how well we run the race to the finish line.

#WinWithStyle