some thoughts on the creative process

I was talking to a friend this week about the creative process and why it can be so hard to show up/be perceived as a creative. We were talking about how we're always evolving into these different version of ourselves so when we create something it’s like solidifying where we’re at in certain points in time and there's this knowing that in the future we won't totally resonate with the current of ourselves. Whenever you create something, it's this process of loving the current versions of yourself enough to give them voice.

Then there’s this whole other part of not only knowing we’ll be perceived by our future selves but also by the people around us which can be a trip. Thinking about all of the different people in our lives who have known all of these past versions of ourselves can be overwhelming. I think that's part of why being a creative (or just like human in general) is such a loving act of bravery because the creative process is extending love to all of these different versions of yourself and remembering that literally nobody is thinking about us as much as we’re thinking about ourselves.

So whatever you're feeling called to create probably stems from a past or present version of yourself that wants to process an emotion, to be seen or express themselves. Part of the creative process is getting curious about the judgments that come up which can be an opportunity to extend empathy and love to ourselves. This builds your confidence as an artist because if you can love past versions of yourself, that means your future self can do that to you right now.