Are you a critic or a creative person?
Chances are: you are both. I know you are. We all are. We just need to get the scales balanced for ourselves!
While life is all energy and creativity at it’s core, we can not teleport ourselves through the day using our energetic mind (yet!) and we certainly can not funtion without a healthy dose of adaptation to society that requires logic. Let’s just say that if you are reading a blog right now, you are “on the grid” enough to be using plenty of logic in your life.
None of us are “all creativity.” We are, however, deeply creative beings with intuition, artistry and genius at our core.
If you believe you are “not artistic” or “not creative” well, your critical thinker may be kicking your creative spirit’s butt! In a bright and logical form of “self protection”, our logical mind can literally talk us out of creating art, acting on intuition and stretching our own boundaries. After all, if you start acting wildly new, doing things that are “just not YOU” and breaking your own mold you may be criticized. Harshly criticized. So, logic prevails for those who think they aren’t creative, and nothing gets created.
Creatives and Critics are not necessarily opposities. Historically, art critics have been responsible for “popularizing” in glowing reviews new modern movements in art and visual expression. Literary critics have annointed genius upon certain writers. Critics are fickle, usually are artists who aren’t practicing their artistic talent, and critics are wholly subjective.
No one is immune to criticism.
Let’s take Monet- you know, one of the greatest Impressionist painters of all time? Water Lilies filling major museums. Yep. Here’s how his life went with criticism:
As the founder of French Impressionism, Monet’s paintings usually dealt with landscape scenes in a moment. While his seminal work “Impression, Sunrise” is now studied and appreciated in art colleges around the world, it was widely derided by critics when it was first revealed. Monet received little but abuse from public and critics alike, who complained that the paintings were formless, unfinished, and ugly. He and his family endured abject poverty. By the 1880s, however, his paintings started selling. (via)
You can read more stories of artists who endured enormous criticism right HERE. Famously absent from the list: Andy Warhol. Jackson Pollock. You name it, they were criticized harshly. And they kept making art.
There’s no escaping criticism. Unless, of course, you choose to do nothing with your life. And that’s not an option.
You have to make your life your own way, anyway, despire the critics… including the critic inside your mind!
1. Make art, even if it sucks at first, and keep creating stuff.
2. Even if you are told you are crazy, stretch your own creative limits more, and keep creating stuff.
3. Get excited when you get criticsm, and keep creative stuff. I am critiqued ALL THE TIME and I embrace it. Some is easy to ignore- just plain spite. A lot of it can help you to refine your communication and it’s valuable.
4. Remember that criticsm is always subjective, and keep creating stuff. (Have I mentioned, you should likely keep creating stuff no matter what?!) If you swallow criticism and let it define you, you’ll get stuck.
And
5. Be less critical of others, and keep creating stuff. Especially those who are doing well at their craft. There is room for everyone. Jealously is a big factor in creating seperation between you and all you can be. If you can’t be happy for other people who are succeeding, you suddenly drive a wedge between you and your own success.
Being stuck is no way to live your life.
Go. Do. And… keep creating stuff! Think less about it, and feel more of the feelings of all of it!
xoxo Dana
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