Why You Need to Start Creating
Every human is creative. This is not me who’s telling you this, it’s Rick Rubin in his bestselling book “Creative Act”. For myself, I am no stranger to the creation state and the ways it metamorphoses in our lives. In this 5-minute epiphany, I will lay out why every one of us should create something and what is the price that we pay for leading a life of sole consumption.
A Pre-Story.
I’ve always been a kid lifted by an insane imagination. I didn’t know the word “creativity” back then but boy oh boy did I imagine stuff. I would imagine entire worlds playing with my toy soldiers and later in school I’d imagine various stories daydreaming in the classroom or on the subway. Little did I know that this imagination habit was indeed shaping my future.
We know from the studies of Joe Dispenza and Tony Robbins that priming our brain by feeding it with positive thoughts can virtually create a new reality for us. Until we practically step into and feel what we desire — our minds won’t be ready for the real change. That’s why we should exercise visual meditation, and fill it up with gratitude, humility but at the same time celebrate ourselves. To strive for the better we have to believe that we deserve better — register this feeling deep down in our core — in our subconsciousness. And to do that daily practice is required.
On top of this, there are additional benefits to dreaming. In a way, imagination is a stepping stone to starting the life of creation. No matter what you do — if you’re a coder or a songwriter — the act of creation always consists of 3 phases:
Intention — — — -> Exposition — — → Feedback
1) Intention. Without a genuine intention to do goodness for the world or people around you, the thing that you’re doing can’t be called a formative creation. A lot of people do something for someone at work that they would otherwise not do on their own. Unfortunately, this is the leading cause of so many burnouts. I do have people in my surroundings who say that a crispy dollar makes up for everything, however, my own life experience testifies to the opposite.
2) Exposition. If you don’t show what you create— you’re shooting yourself in the foot. There’s nothing more discouraging than hiding creations, even if you’re afraid of the reception. Your expectations are the burden responsible for utmost dissatisfaction. Hint: never expect anything and just do things for your pleasure.
3) Feedback. Now this is where you’re reaping the fruits of your creativity. No matter how big of a feedback you received, remember — even by inspiring one soul — you’ve already made a difference. That’s what counts.
A short disclaimer: I don’t mean to say that if you work for a company you are not a creator, I merely mean that to get fulfillment from your work, your values and vision of the world must coincide with those of your company, otherwise the creations you pull off there won’t feed your appetite to continue, which can lead to the things I mapped out earlier.
To wrap up this chapter, I’ll quote Simon Sinek, who said that
We have to dream. How else will we make a future that does not yet exist?
I believe it says it all.
Consuption in Our Vains.
The absence of purpose leads to empty lives. Ergo, mental health disorders flow from a complacent lifestyle. It means that people who are living high on the hog, looking happy on the outside (cars, dinner parties, golf, etc) are, by and large, struggling due to the absence of meaning. If you don’t manufacture additional value and only consume—a mid-life crisis is just a question of time. The usage of anti-depressants is rocket high specifically for the people working in large intense corporations, so-called “white-collars”. I know what I’m talking about cuz I spent 5 years of my life in such a mode and found myself falling down a mental spiral as a result.
I believe that contrary to what I hear about money being the remedy, the actual remedy is creation. Music — is the answer, they say. Indeed that’s the case, if you create it or it aids your creation process.
The ways you can start creating:
- Align your vision with the form of content you want to create.
There is a saying that in order to write — you should have knowledge; in order to tell stories — you should know yourself. Subsequently, before you choose the platform or the medium to create — make sure you understand what purpose you have in mind: Do you want to reflect on your journey? Inspire people? Educate them? Entertain?
I, for one, want to inspire people to not fear expressing themselves, making mistakes, and even changing the direction of their lives as this is something that I underwent myself. Leading by example is the ace up your sleeve; you can’t go wrong. - Understand that creation comes in various forms.
You can write articles or poems, play music, draw pictures or you can be involved in creating adaptive design, starting a business, performing on stage, or even singing in karaoke. The main thing to keep in mind is WHY you are creating because, without this crucial understanding, your creations will be yet another cause for a shallow life. - Don’t ever be critical of your creations.
In the beginning everything kind of sucks, whether it’s a poem or an international business. By the sound of it, never underestimate the iteration process. With consistent effort, you’ll get better and better every time and what’s more — in case you weren’t able to carve out the meaning — you will start noticing patterns, highlighting your Just Cause. Well, at least that’s how it happened for me — I just started doing something God knows WHY, but the clarity gradually emerged. - Mind what’s comfortable for you and don’t chase trends.
I’ve been in this situation and wasted a year trying to capture Instagram and TikTok, while the platform that I’m made for is obviously YouTube. I don’t know what’s your mindset, but I just can’t develop thoughts in a clickbait manner in under 1 minute. The good trick here is to think about which platform you have gotten the most inspiration from as a consumer and try to become a creator for people like you. After all, it’s all about like-minded followers, aka your unique tribe.
To conclude, I’d like to say that creation has helped me so much in my life, either being start-ups or different forms of art. It’s the canvas where I effortlessly paint the masterpiece of my truest self. It’s the retreat, the refuge I feel alive.
“You are the Creater of Your Life, not the Manager of Circumstances.” — Tony Robbins.
…and these are not fancy words. It’s a pathway to unlock the life that we, as human beings, must lead. The life of creation and contribution to something bigger than ourselves. That’s what I wish for all of you, my dear readers.
