Hearing someone say ”she/he/they are so creative” makes me cringe. You know what I hate hearing even more? ”I am not a creative person”. Then what are you? A stone?
Talking about “creative people” is a common and misguided way of viewing creativity in our society. It’s a mantra we repeat without thinking. And then, we think it. It begins to influence how we define our identity.
Many aspiring music creators are, without realising, hindered by this conception of creativity as an exclusive perk that only a few are lucky enough to possess. It can result in undermining ourselves or giving up too easily.
Becoming good in making music takes effort. Becoming a professional artist is even harder. Giving up and blaming it on your lack of creativity? An excuse to not put in the work. Let’s look at it more closely.
We all have our natural tendencies and personality traits. Some of them we are born with. Some are the result of influence. These things show in our music from the very first moments we try to make something. But creativity itself exists as a core force within all of us. It is what allows us to grow and learn. It is not something we can measure and compare. It’s pointless and harmful to talk about creativity in that way.
To be human is to be creative. We are the masters of adapting and problem solving. It is why we have become so successful as a species. Life requires a ton of creativity to pull off. The results of our creative process aren’t often visible to others.
Why then are artists often seen as ”more creative” than other people? Simply because in art, the result of our creativity happens to be a tangible product with a sole purpose of being observed, experienced and remembered by others. In other words, artists appear more creative than others because there is lots of public proof of their creativity. After all, it’s a huge part of the artist’s job to display what they have created!
In the eyes of the public, then, successful artists become these magical ”creative persons”. It’s a classic case of confirmation bias – the tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms one’s prior observations. Our tendency to idolise, label, mystify and look for excuses plays into this perfectly. I get it. It’s very attractive to think like that, because it’s easier for us in that moment. It’s the path of least resistance, and the path of least truth.
As a music creator, don’t be fooled by this myth. All the creativity you need already exists within you.
Here are only a few of the things you are likely to notice when you begin to examine successful artists more closely:
- They understand that creativity is a force that exists within us by nature. They don’t feel entitled about possessing it.
- When they first started, they likely spent years grinding away with little attention from anyone.
- They have become better at the actual act of creating by means of study, practice and defeating hardships.
- Professional artists usually spend more time working and practicing than most people do in their day jobs. If they ever have holidays, they still find themselves thinking about work. It’s a 24/7 job.
- On top of that, they are not wasting their resources pursuing things that won’t serve their goals. So they’re not only spending lots of time on their craft. They’re also consistently directing their attention to what matters most.
- They are actively connecting to people or companies who can help them on their journey in various ways. Though it may seem they work alone, they also spend a lot of time connecting with others.
- Whether sharing their process in social media, practicing for gigs or studying marketing related skills, they are putting a ton of effort into displaying the results of their creativity to the public.
Can you really write all that off by saying someone is just ”so creative”?
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