Mediated Communication #4

http://www.npr.org/2014/10/03/351554044/where-does-creativity-come-from

One day while driving to work I was listening to NPR. Ted talk was on and he was talking with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. She was mentioning something about creativity and how it’s not always easy to have words come and flow when we need them to. Not even for a published writer like herself. It was the weekend before our second paper was due and I was having a hard time getting words to come. I had a lot on my plate that weekend and just couldn't focus. I had done a lot of reading and searching for cases that would support my side of the argument, but I was still having a hard time organizing my thoughts enough to get anything on paper. I was getting frustrated and stressing over my grade and not understanding why, after all the work I’d put in, couldn't I just sit down and present what I had found?

When I went to find the actual interview I found this little presentation that she had given on the creative life and found it quite interesting. She talks about having a safe distance from “the reaction to our writing.” The way others think or feel about our creative expression needs to be the last thing we worry about. Easier said than done. Sometimes we just need to write and hope our thoughts come together in some sort of organized creative work. Even the best, seasoned authors don’t write fabulous things all of the time.

The biggest thing for me was when she talked about “just showing up” and doing your part. Sometimes that is all we can do. We've studied, we've worked, we've worried. Sometimes it’s just a matter of “doing our job.” With that, hopefully it’s enough to at least get the thoughts and words on paper, even if it isn't quite what we want it to be. Sometimes our creative juices flow and at other times they lay dormant.

One other thing that she mentions in regard to this is how if we consider our creativity being “on loan” to us, maybe we would look at our creative process differently and it wouldn't be so frustrating when those feelings of inadequacy show up as we try to produce a piece of work worthy of an A.

This whole interview, to me was cogent reasoning and thinking. I find in my life I get too emotionally attached to some of the things I create, whether it’s a sewing, scrap booking, or school project. What are others going to think? Will they like it? When I was writing my paper I was so worried that I was going to do it wrong, that what I was going to write wasn't going to be good enough. I've been out of school for so long.What if I can't formulate thoughts into words that make sense? In reality, as long as I show up and do the work, accept that sometimes it’s easier than others, and that in the end my talents are on loan to me, it makes it easier to get things done. If I do my best, that is all I have. If I do my best, it should be enough; even if it’s just for me. This segment reminded me that I am good enough, just the way I am. It's none of my business what others think of me. As long as I have done my best, I've done what was asked of me.