Creative Mondays #057 – Fight.
NOTE: This is the final Creative Mondays post. Thanks for the support.
Time and time again on this blog we have talked about how creating is not easy. Every piece of art that exists in this world is here because the artist who created it fought tooth and nail to bring it into the world. When you think about it, creating a piece of art has just about EVERYTHING stacked against it ever being created.
First of all, there is the simple act finding the desire, time, energy, fortitude to even begin the project. It is super hard to get a boulder rolling. Taking that first step, starting can be a Herculean effort for many, many people. I wonder how many great works of art, in all fields, we have missed out on simply because they remained as an idea in someone’s head? For whatever reason, they didn’t take that first step and start. The idea never stood a chance. It is only by taking that first step can we begin to bring the piece of art into being. Those who fight and fight hard and actually take that first step are the true creators.
Once you’ve started, things may seem easier but, depending on how you look at it, things can become more difficult. The bolder is rolling, yes, but your pushing it uphill. Once you’ve begun time becomes a factor again. Will you have time to work on the project? Will it take weeks? Months? Years? And if so, will you stick with it? Once you’ve begun is also when the critics come out. The people to tell you that you’re doing it wrong, or that you should do it a different way. Or the most vile critic of all, your negative brain. The voice in your head telling you that what you’re doing is not good, will never be any good, fixates on every minor mistake, tells you to just give up. You must fight against all these obstacles and continue to create, what you know deep down in your heart, is worth fighting for. To bring your vision into reality, you need to fight the entire time.
If you don’t fight, you will not create. It is that simple. True, some ideas may be worth fighting for more than others. It’s up to you to pick your battles. It is also true that some fights will be easier than others. A project can inspire you down to the core and you won’t have to fight to get it done. The fun of working on it will quiet the negative brain and you will, seemingly, create with ease. Do not be fooled. You’re still fighting though, because it’s much easier to do nothing, than to do something.
Lots of people have ‘great ideas.’ A lot of these ideas will never see the light of day because the people who have them are willing to fight to get them done. They feel that just by talking about them, someone else will take the reigns and make their idea a reality. These people will be right there when the rewards come in and they’ll want half, for their ‘idea.’ As artists we know that it is not just about the idea, it’s about doing the work that must be done. It’s about fighting.
So, here’s to the fighters. Those who believe in their art so much they will fight until they are broken, bloodied and exhausted to bring their art into the world. Creating is hard. Always fight.
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Have you every had to really fight to get a project done? Tell us about it in the comments below. Have a great week!
2 thoughts on “Creative Mondays #057 – Fight.”
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Last Creative Monday? That’s a bummer, I’ve enjoyed these weekly posts!
I’m fighting some discouraging thoughts right now. I’m in the very early stages of creating a new comic. It’s been years since I drew comics. Right now is all the fun brainstorming and world building. But when I think ahead to drawing, I get discouraged, because my drafting has gotten rusty and it’s still not where I want it. My inking really needs to up its game. And then I get to the sales side….I will have to sell a whole lot of black and white books before I can afford to print the watercolor editions that I really want to do. And at the end of the day, this will all still be a huge labor of love, cause self publishing comics does not make money.
But then I get another idea for a turn in the story and I remember that I really need to look at this as a project I’m doing for me. If others find it and enjoy it, great. But it’s mostly that I’m enjoying this little fantasy world bouncing around my head.
I’m right with you in my editing of my writing. As I’ve written on here, that’s when things hit the major roadblock for me. You will get through it and I’m eager to see the end result!