Why Being Creative is so Important to Me

I received the best message this morning, and it couldn’t be more timely with what I’ve been focusing on lately.

It was a question from a fellow artist, who often experiences years of hiatus from their craft. And they shared, that it was because they were afraid of being imperfect and did not create because they were always waiting until they were ready. And so they wanted to ask one of the most beautiful questions I could’ve ever been asked:

And I couldn’t help but take the whole day to reflect. Here is my answer:

I don't think creativity is my friend, I think it's my oxygen. It's my way of life, the only way that makes sense to me because it is the only tool that allows me be my true and fullest self. By having multiple creative outlets that let me exercise all the parts of me. And if I am not being creative, then I am not being myself, and I am often unhappy.

I never create something because I'm ready. I create it because I want to. I do it because I have something that I really want to share and it keeps me up at night or consumes all my thoughts until I create it.

I think I must have nurtured creativity into some form of self-love, self-care, and healing for me. It gives me hope in life and it makes my life and the way I experience the world beautiful.

Lately, I've been very protective of it. Hence, I find this message even more timely and an absolute sign from the universe that I'm on the right path.

I try to not start or end my day with social media and consuming so much information so that I can nurture my own thoughts and ideas. And I have been declining projects and opportunities that take me away from my own creativity. Because I feel like I've been away for a long time too, and I really want to just protect my mental and physical space to reignite it again.

I've also come to a realization, that I think my creativity is one of my favorite things about me. And that just makes it even more of a reason for me to prioritize it even more.

And I don't think I've ever sought permission to create. I think I've been seeking permission to love it as much as I do, and to create as much as I want to.

So to whoever is reading, to all the creatives, I hope you too, can cultivate a relationship with creativity that feels good for you too. One that does not instill fear of imperfection, of being judged. One that doesn’t suffocate you because of all the pressure. One that makes you feel free, and utterly you.