How do you find the courage to be an artist?
Deciding that ‘you’ are going to be an artist (any kind of artist) is not exactly the definition of a risk and stress free decision.
In my experience (and I learned this pretty quickly after moving to Vancouver), it’s a really scary, intimidating, isolating, and resistance drenched decision.
But does it have to be that way?
Why does the response “be realistic” so often follow a decision to live a life of passion; a creative life?
Uninhibited creative expression – aka daring experimentation that doesn’t give a fuck – was basically seen as inessential when I was a teen and going through the school system. What was important was that you got the correct answer.
There is no such thing as a correct answer when it comes to creativity.
I didn’t learn how to be creative in school. I learned how to be a perfectionist. I learned how to be the same as everyone else. I learned how to be afraid of my own power; my own intuition.
I have this quote by Sylvia Plath on my wall:
“Gone is the simple college cycle of winning prizes, and here is the more complex, less clear cut arena of life, where there is no single definite aim, but a complex degree of aims, with no prizes to tell you you’ve done well. Only the sudden flashes of joy that come when you commune deeply with another person, or see a particularly golden mist at sunrise, or recognize on paper a crystal expression of a thought that you never expected to write down.”
Being creative means doing things differently, but where do you even start?
I wanted a place to learn about creativity, but I couldn’t find one.
So I created one.
I started asking questions. I started listening.
I’ve discovered that you can learn a lot from the stories, experiences, and feelings of others who have found the courage to live a creative life.
Are you interested in joining the conversation?
I’m currently looking for passionate, ambitious, and fearless artists of varying skill levels and experience.
I’m looking for: actors, animators, chefs, cinematographers, composers, dancers, designers, directors, makeup artists, musicians, painters, photographers, poets, singers, special effects artists, writers, and more!
What can you expect as an interviewee?
Very personal questions.
“Theatre is a safe place to do the unsafe things that need to be done” said John Patrick Shanley.
Likewise, Creative Life is a safe place to share ‘unsafe’ things that need to be said.
No one is perfect. We all struggle and we all fail. It’s inevitable, and if you’re risking big you can’t avoid it.
The purpose of this series is to share personal experiences of courage, fear, vulnerability, flow, creativity, and happiness from the perspective of the artist.
I want to know how others have found the courage to keep going. I want to understand the strength, discipline, bravery, and incredible trust that is required of any artist.
Enough with the competition! Let’s start supporting each other as artists and as people by sharing our stories — our experiences – without the shiny facade of perfection. Perfection doesn’t exist.
It might feel uncomfortable, but I think sharing through the discomfort is important. There is so much that we can learn from one another.
This is about starting a genuine and candid discussion. This is about helping each other so that we can live with more people who are awake, passionate, and filled with ambition in this world.
So lets start talking about happiness. Let’s talk about courage. Let’s talk about resilience. Let’s start this conversation.
Check out the testimonials by some of the previous interviewees by clicking here
Browse all interviews in the series so far!
Browse interviews by actors, animators, choreographers, directors, musicians, or writers.
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Submit an Interview
If you’re interested in sharing your voice and answering the 11 questions from this interview series, please send an e-mail to me (with ‘Interview Request’ in the subject line) at:
christine (at) creativelifestyleblog (dot) com