Creatives VS the World
Creatives VS the World
They Want you to QUIT - a conspiracy theory.
In his book ‘The War of Art,’ Steven Pressfield talks about the self-imposed mental blocks that stop us making our best work. He calls it ‘the resistance’.
It’s true, every creative has to work hard to get out of their own way.
We battle our own confidence, imposter syndrome and procrastination. It’s a lot.
But why are our minds so riddled with doubt? Why does a creative career seem like an impossible dream?
Look past my tin foil hat and just come with me for a second, okay?
They don’t want you to succeed.
They want you to quit.
They don’t want you to live a creative life.
They want you to think it’s impossible.
‘They’ is an entire culture and society that perpetuates a misleading narrative – that art has no value and the creative path leads to starvation.
They drip feed this propaganda, it infects your confidence and it helps the resistance to thrive.
I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s where every ‘loser’ character in film or TV was an artist, writer or musician.
The story hasn’t changed and now technology is escalating everything.
AI and 3D printers are fun to play with, but are we basically teaching our kids; don’t spend years learning a skill when you can skip to the fun part at the touch of a button?
‘Price-shaming’ fills the online comments of any creator brave enough to share their pricing because we’re losing respect for handmade.
The Shien-ification of the internet has taught us that everything should be fast and cheap.
Most parents will tell you a creative career is risky, because they genuinely think so. And they love you.
As we progress through the school system, year by year, art and creative subjects are deemphasized.
Even my Art teacher told me I couldn’t be an artist. I was 37 when I finally deprogrammed myself enough to see success.
They want a population that conforms and questions nothing. They made ‘woke’ a bad thing.
From every angle for years and years, you’ve been subtly told that there is one path. Don’t deviate.
Sometimes, you’ll start to believe it. I thought for years I’d be a starving artist. Maybe I should get a ‘proper job’.
When you get home from a 9-5, the last thing you want to do is be creative. They’ll steal your fire for 8 hours a day and leave you with nothing.
Those who have made it, have every right to tell us how hard it was but this will leave us with more questions; if there’s so few places at the table, why bother competing?
What’s the point?
Okay. Deep breath.
You don’t have to do as you’re told.
When you make it as a creative, you start to live a fulfilled life.
When that happens, you’ll no longer be a victim to the sadness they pedal or a customer of the products they say you need in order to become a complete human being.
The secrets to the universe are in ‘the work’.
You’ll feel the buzz of problem solving in front of an empty page or blank canvas. You’ll time travel when you’re in flow and hours will seem like minutes.
Your craft will help you process and deal with your emotions. It’ll help you process being human. Often the most personal work you make, will resonate the most with others.
Your brain is constantly scrambling for comfort but you’ll start to realise that doing the hard things, is exhilarating.
Gradually, you’ll see that learning outside of the school system, is actually fun. And growth, is addictive.
The work will still be hard; don’t buy into that ‘do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’ cliché. You’ll work harder than ever but finally, work will be satisfying.
I got an ‘award’ when I worked at Virgin Megastores (a highstreet record chain). It was given out at a Christmas party one year. It was a wooden spoon with ‘laziest bastard’, written on it.
You can now find online articles about me that use the words ‘hard-working’ and ‘prolific’. It’s funny how motivated you can be when you start to care.
They don’t want you to care because every rebellion starts with art.
Art starts discussions and shapes culture.
Make things that set your soul on fire and put them into the world, to connect with others.
Make something silly, funny, sad, thoughtful, colourful, gawdy, controversial, quiet or noisy. It doesn’t matter.
If you make work that makes people feel, that is everything.
One of the greatest surprises for me: in the practice of expressing my pain, I found healing. In expressing my fear and insecurity, I found courage.
Every rebellion starts with art. Love it.