To the creative souls of OH...

[Cat_OTO]

Great thread! 

The notebook by your bedside is a great idea.

Working in creative industries can be difficult as those jobs tend to be in high demand and also not-well-paid. There is a lot of competition and jealousy that can arise. Creatives can be sensitive (I know I am) and sometimes insecure because creativity is so subjective. And more than ever, people can be judgemental, especially on social media.

Maybe we have to become more emotionally intelligent, recognising constructive criticism which can help us improve our work/projects, and criticism intended to demoralise us. I find I am more open to hearing criticism now that I am older; not taking it personally as I examine whether there are positive suggestions I can take to incorporate and make better. 

One thing I struggle with as I get older, as a 'creative' person in a not-so-creative job, is that I use my imagination less. When you use your imagination less, you get less imaginative. I'd like to know how to stimulate my imagination because sometimes the well runs dry lol.

And I find it harder to finish books. I have like 3 by my bed where I am someways through. That is a concentration thing, I know. However, when I am doing something active that I love (I take an acting class for fun, so that would be working on the character with the teacher and rehearsing with others in our scenes), the time flies and I am totally immersed in the present. 

Edited January 20, 2020 by Cat_OTO

[Cat_OTO]

2 hours ago, Siobhan Halo said:

I build things, not just the lightsticks you may have seen here, and when I have something all planned out my mind seems to to think the job is done and it takes me many weeks to actually get around to building the thing. My biggest annoyance seems to be myself.

Is it that you are afraid of running into unforeseen problems when you put the plans into practice? Or that you love the coming-up-with-a-plan part that the execution is not so much your thing?

Or maybe you find building something with your hands v therapeutic and satisfying. Sometimes it's the getting started that is the hard part. I know with exercise I am literally talking myself into getting going, but once I start, I'm glad I did, lol.

[Cat_OTO]

14 hours ago, Siobhan Halo said:

The idea and design part of construction is the most exciting for me. Once I get started on building something it's fun and interesting but, yeah, it's the starting it that's hard, and the what-if-it-sucks-when-it's-done aspect.

On the other hand I get great satisfaction when I'm done turning an idea into reality:

This:

To this:

 

OMG! That is so cool! It looks really professional too!

Yeah it's hard to get going sometime, cuz we don't want to reduce the buzz of working on an idea by actually executing it for real.

Sometimes I have found that, without someone to bounce off of and encourage me, my brain can be my own worst enemy. I get doubts, I second-guess myself, and sometimes a tiny little problem gets blown up to huge proportions. That's why its good to have support as a creative IMO.