Creativity and Me: Part 1

Benedicamus Domino!

I have recently begun a small course on how to master one's artistic habits, or in my case, how to create these habits in the first place. I've often heard and read about people who have such a passion for their writing or their music or whatever that they simply must spend time working on that craft each and every day. I, alas, have no such consistent drive, so when I found this course on the internet, I chose to see what it would have to offer. I am also choosing to publish my journal entries for this course here. Since this is part of my journey toward joy, I feel it to be appropriate for this blog. So, here, three weeks late incidentally, is my first journal entry for the course.

"Mastering Your Artistic Habits

Journal Entry 1

I am working on my creative personality.

This means to me that I feel that my current use of that personality is not in a good place. I am not letting it live to its fullest potential, so therefore, I am working on it, overhauling it, approaching it as a mechanic would approach a car that does not run well, or rather, does not run the way *he* wants it to run. Yes. That's it. It's not that the car doesn't work and really needs fixing. It's just that it doesn't sound right, it isn't slick enough. So I want to tune things up, to supe up my creative drive and to become, at last, a "real" artist.

I think I've always felt that I only play at my music and my writing. I think that on some level I've always felt inferior to others who seem more devoted to their crafts than I appear to myself to be. The truth is that they simply do their crafts every day. I, right now, do not, and I feel that I ought to.

Animals

I am a bit of a chemelion because I often try to please as many different types of people as possible. Rather than being staunchly myself, I wear different masks and sometimes hide parts of myself behind them. I stifle myself in this process.

I am also a hermit-crab, not so much because I steel other people's vacated homes, but simply because I tend to wall myself off from people sometimes.

I am also a tarrior. When I find something interesting, I stick with it. I won't let go even if someone tells me it's weird or strange. I am capable of going the distance to achieve a goal when I really really want to do it, but that's the problem. I have to really really really want to do it!

My Dreams and Hopes

I hope to be able to make some kind of living by my creativity, whether it's through music, writing and/or motivational speaking, or by some other creative means. I know this takes hard work and a head for the gritty details of business management and the like, but it is what I would wish to do.
I also hope to publish at least one novel or book of poetry or collection of stories. Whether this means self-publishing or publishing with a firm, that's one thing I dream of doing.
I hope to record a second album, at least one more.
I'm not looking for fame or fortune. I'm not looking for riches. I'd just like a way to use my gifts to good purpose and to let them flower rather than shutting them off as things impractical or unrealistic.

Plan for Making Creativity a Habit

I will spend at least an hour each day working on my writing and at least an hour each day working on creating more music.

Other Uses for my Artistic Side

I can use my artistic side to help shape and hone my church choir's efforts. I can also often bring interesting things into conversations with friends and family. I have often used my love of writing to help people who hate doing it, and I enjoy doing this."

So, there we go. There will likely be seven parts to this particular set of postings. I'm already finding out interesting things about myself!

Deo Gratias!