It will never cease to amaze me, the glorification that runs concomitant with being genius, creative, etc; or more precise, the implications and positive connotations that people place on the word “genius or creative”. I once heard someone say “genius is enduring great pains.” I’ve always hated that quote, but when one looks at the darker aspects of being creative, the more I realize the weight that particular quote holds. Don’t get me wrong, I understand completely where the misconceptual origin springs from; You see companies like Apple, that have now become the hallmark of creative thinking and pushing ideas forward, “thinking different”. But as Steve Jobs passed away- you see tons of books usurped that “nice, creative, guy”, image with stories of Tyranny.
So, you may ask, what are the cons of being a creative person in a society that rejects the actions but love the premise of thinking outside the box? Creative people are risk takers. They would much rather travel the road that hasn’t been trailed or tried, then the road proven, paved and tested. They are nonconformist. They often break all forms of convention in their campaign find the truth. Even in the face of failure, rejection, doubt, they travail all in search of a solution… putting in long, hard, hours, abandoning much to the dismay of family and friends, their personal lives. But if one takes solid note of the copious list of cons of the creative type, you notice none of these are traits conducive to group efforts in a large organization financially, socially, or other wise. So it’s completely understandable why more creative types, own their own company, don’t make much money or are just plain jobless. They are a financial nightmare. It’s a situation of “the risk isn’t worth the reward”.
Perhaps creative people are altruist people that accept personal risks, and cost that will only benefit the larger collective, such as an organization or society. Perhaps creative types are slightly tilted individuals who don’t really mind the endless nights nursing a laboratory experiment or the social isolation that comes with taking the minority viewpoint. For the few, taking the creative route is something that isn’t a burden, but a burden that makes inherent sense; second nature if you will. Perhaps, one could call this a small form of arrogance; but I see the beautiful parallels that accompany being a creator and having a sacrificial mentality. The highest form of sacrifice is the sacrifice of ones body – much like Christ did for his people. It’s so much destruction in our minds. We create- more worlds and things that will never see the light of day, or fall on ears, nor viewed for anyone’s eyes but our own.
We have, and always will have – endless – admiration for the creative type, only in retrospect. We admire: the successful small business start up, the scientists, the writer, designer, and musician. But given the choice, the average person would not make the same decision, given its odds of failure. Look at yourselves as lucky! We have them, in which they’re people wiling to take this treacherous and lonesome path.
Day dot Mizo ….
DropaJewel, because someone has to 