This one goes out to all the dreamers. The poets. The creatives. The writers. The romantics. The painters. The ones with dreams bigger and wilder than life itself. Please never stop creating. The world needs to see your art. Whether it’s in poems, paintings, books, street art, music or anything else…
If you are a dreamer the world will tell you that you are unrealistic. You dream too big. You need to come back down to earth. Don’t listen. Keep dreaming. Keep creating. Drown out the noise and drop into your soul. I am fortunate enough to have grown up in a family that encouraged me to keep dreaming and writing. When I told my parents that I wanted to be a writer, they didn’t laugh. They supported me. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for most creatives. You have to be strong enough to not listen.
No matter what you have to keep creating. Even if it’s shit. Even if you get criticised. Even if it’s hard. Just keep creating. The world needs you to bring forth the jewels you have hidden inside you.
Too many people stop creating and abandon their creative pursuits. Perhaps they are afraid of being criticised. Maybe they are afraid of what others will think of them. Or maybe they simply just don’t think they have anything important to say or that they are not good enough. You are good enough, and you do have something to say.
Ricky Gervais said it well:
Remember, it’s better to create something and be criticised than to create nothing and criticise others.
It is extremely easy to be the one to criticise others. But, you have to tune out those voices. Sure, constructive criticism can be all good, but don’t let the haters and criticisers hold you back from creating what you heart desire to create. You are far stronger and bolder than the people sitting on their couch criticising.
And even if what you create is rubbish, put it out into the world anyway. Don’t let perfectionism be another excuse for not creating. Here’s the thing, we all sometimes create absolute rubbish. I have published plenty of articles that could have been a lot better. But at one point you just have to let it go and move on to the next project. Just keep creating.
And please don’t create because you don’t think you are the best. The truth is there probably will always be something that’s better than you at writing, painting, writing lyrics, creating music… That shouldn’t stop you from creating. By the way, art is subjective. In her book Big Magic Elizabeth Gilbert talks about how some people loved Eat Pray Love while others found it painful. My partner and I often look at art and have a completely different opinion. I am telling you, we seriously struggle to find artwork we both love.
So really, should you stop creating just because you aren’t the best or someone doesn’t like your painting, book or music? Of course not! The sooner you accept that not everyone will love what you create, the better. Then we can all move on and continue to create.
So my dear dreamers and creatives, please keep creating. The world truly needs your art.
