Let’s face it; life is tough for most
creative people. Usually it starts at a young age—we were daydreamers,
outcasts, shy, and hated math. Logic doesn’t work for most artistic people,
unless it’s the logic of colors bursting from an autumn tree, or a sunset ripe
with mystery. From a young age, we learn to keep our heads down and fists up.
Of course, this isn’t true for every creative/artistic person I know, but it is
true for most of the wonderful people I cherish and love, simply because they
never give up on art, no matter what.
Being a creative person myself, my whole
life has been a challenge. I’m not being arrogant when I say this: most
creative people see the world differently, and the rest of the world doesn’t
always like it. So, how do we forge a path for ourselves? One of the most
important lessons I’ve learned is to keep positive, and never let anyone else’s
negativity force you away from what you love to do most. There are way too many
avenues for artistic people to make a living, even if you’re working a regular
ol’ boring day job; there are ways to make extra cash. Here’s a few: showing
your art anywhere you can—bars (don’t laugh; as I sat having a beer one night,
I watched two of the featured artist’s paintings sell, the trick is to make
sure the cost of the art is no more than 50-150 dollars, when people are drunk,
they think that’s a steal for art), coffee shops, teahouses, farmers markets,
bookstores, and anywhere else you can imagine enough solid traffic to see your
work.
Writers—there is a plethora of ways to
get extra cash for writing online, just watch out for scams (with real online
jobs, you don’t pay anything to get started). And for crafters there is etsy,
and other places to start your online business. A little bit of research can
take you a long way.
Relationships, I have found to be
(sometimes) particularly hard on creative folks. If your partner has major
issues, chances are, all your energy is going to be expended on this persons
issues! And, you will be sucked dry from your creativity—get out of the
relationship—trust me, you will thank me eventually. I speak from experience. It
may be hard to be alone, but love yourself
first, and then the right person—who will understand and support your quirks
and creativity—will come along.
Take breaks often and get outside, or
dance, or just roll around on the ground with your special furry friend. This
will help the blood flow to your brain and keep you happier and more focused.
Don’t be overly judgmental toward other
people and their work. This will only stunt your own creativity. Again, I say,
stay positive. What you throw into the aether, determines what comes back
around your way!
