On Creativity and Loneliness

This is a beautiful description of the experience of people born with creative gifts. Their gifts are often misunderstood and frequently used against them to instill shame and conformity. But if not for creativity the world would not survive. So, don't despair creatives. Unleash your passion and take us to a better place. {Kevin}

From: Walking in this World: The Practical Art of Creativity by Julia Cameron.

“As artists we are often in the ugly-duckling position. We have been born into families that regard us as “odd” – and we come to regard ourselves that way. (Sometimes our families are supportive, but our culture, as a whole, is not.) Our desire to make things and to make something of ourselves in the arts is often reflected back to us as “Who do you think you are?” I call this “growing up in the fun house,” where our soul’s aspirations are mirrored back to us in a distorted and distorting fashion that makes them appear egotistical and unrealistic: “Don’t get too big for your britches,” “Who do you think you are?” We often don’t really know the answer to that. We know something along the lines of “I think I might be . . .” When we are surrounded by people who either cannot see us or cannot acknowledge what they see, our image blurs. We begin to feel both a certain self-doubt and a certain stubborn inner knowing that we may then dismiss as crazy. Part of us knows we’re more than they see; part of us fears we’re less than we hope. This inner friction is painful.”

And this reminder from Goethe:

"The way you see people is the way you treat them and the way you treat them is what they become."