Forget Perfection, Opt for Eccentric, and Live Your Creative Life Today — Daily Quote

I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity lately. What makes one person creative and another less? Julia Cameron says, “Creativity is like crabgrass.” It exists in everyone and requires only the tiniest bit of care to grow and flourish and overtake the world. Yet for homeowners who desire a cultivated yard the neighborhood envies, crabgrass is the weedy, invasive, unattractive bane to their existence. You will find them trying every trick in the book to prevent, kill, contain, and eradicate this pesky growth from their lawn.

When we envision the seeds of creativity, I bet most of us have a different picture. Perhaps it takes the form of a glorious, fragile, and fastidious orchid, a mighty oak, a hibiscus, a scarlet maple, or another majestic and breath-taking beauty. Maybe it is a cute little viola, a feathery fern, a lush weeping willow, or an apple tree that bears tantalizing fruit. Crabgrass? Who wants that? We want over-the-top, awe-inspiring visionary works of art, not an ugly weed.

But we must start somewhere. An orchid’s natural habitat extends from the equatorial tropics to the arctic tundra and everywhere in between, while oak trees need decades to mature. What is wrong with starting with an easy project and building your confidence? There is too much pressure in producing perfection on your first try. It’s not glamorous. Agents won’t appear on your doorstep, nobody will offer thousands of dollars for your efforts, and your family might call you crazy. Tell them you prefer the term eccentric and keep going. Find something creative to do every day of your life.

What will you create today?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer