on creating (or advice for gods everywhere)

a few thoughts have been rolling around my brain about the whole process of creating something. humans have this need to make things that are either entirely new or a unique version of something else. why? what inside our souls drives us? is it vanity? do we simply want the attention for some grand new invention? i don't think this is true. yes, we love acceptance and admiration but i believe that this need exists inside of every one of us to use our creativity to better the world, or at least alter it. it's as if we feel like our existence could very well go unnoticed otherwise. is that it? a simple mark made on the universe? a scratch that says "i was here and i made a difference!. my guess is that it's a combination of all of these and more. from writing a song, a book, painting a picture, creating a new life... most of us are instinctually driven to create. gods? us?

but it's not that easy. we think of this grand "new thing" we'd like to create and suddenly we are immersed in thoughts of how. next we start trying to make our vision a reality and are often met with dismal versions of what we see in our heads. we face the constant frustration and self doubt, the inner editor telling us that it will never be good enough. that bastard that says we are crazy for even trying to do something so different. who are we to think we have even a speck of talent? the inner editor is our worst enemy. many projects get thrown aside, many genius ideas are lost all due to this voice. how do we face this voice? or do we find a way to ignore? "la la la, i'm not listening silly little inner demons..." somehow we find a way through the mire of self flagellation and find a way to finish our creation. or do we?

that's the challenge. stop telling ourselves that what we are doing is shit. stop throwing half finished pieces of work aside. finish that song and realize that it doesnt have to be the best song ever written. finish that painting and remember that it is still unique and wonderful even if it's not a Monet. finish the story about the woman who woke up every morning to find she'd lost one of her five senses just for that day. it might not be the "Next Great American Novel" but someone out there might have their day brightened by reading it.

maybe our job is simply to create for the sake of creating. the simple act itself is good for our souls. it's like soul aerobics. so, create. do it for yourself alone and let the world be changed as a side note.

...r...