Where Does Creativity Come From?
My creativity comes from pain
I have been a creative person since I was very young. I started with writing – poetry and short stories. That eventually morphed into drawing – charcoal and soft pencils were my faves. In college I studied photography, eventually pivoting to video. Throughout all of that time, I created a myriad of different types of art. Some of it was crap, while the rest was pretty damn good. But as an artist/ creative we want to be making our best work all the time, so how do we do that? Better yet, why do we feel more creative at times?
As creatives, we want to make as often as possible, but sometimes it feels forced. But then there are those moments when you can make anything. Your emotions and skills are aligned and the words, pixels, or sounds flow out. They make sense, and more times than not, look/ sound great. But what is that thing that triggers creativity in you? Is it the same for most people or is everyone different?
When I think back to the most creative times in my life I can recollect one blaring emotion – pain. I don’t mean physical pain, rather emotional pain. This is the feeling that comes from loss, regret, deep sadness, and chronic depression. When this feeling is festering in me I get this bursting sensation to make. Most of the time this comes out in writing, but it has come out as photography, drawing, and film too. The creativity that bleeds out is not directly associated with what is causing the emotion – meaning the art isn’t always showing pain, it is just triggered by it.
Most artists or creatives that I know digitally or in-person tend to also create the most when they are in some form of emotional distress. This got me thinking further. Recently, I had the opportunity to go to Beyond Van Gogh, here in Portland, OR. The experience was kinda sub-par, but being immersed in Van Gogh’s art and writings at once got me a front row seat to a great artist's mind. He, like many other artists of the past and present, struggled with a mental disorder. He is best known for cutting off his ear before creating some of his most notable work. So, is pain a trigger for creativity? And is pain a trait of most artists/ creatives?
After reading a handful of medical articles, I can say that medical professionals don’t know. There is a lot of historical data that shows it could be, but when tested in a research study capacity, there is no definitive link. There is however a link to show that creating art can be a good escape and treatment for mental disorders.
I don’t have enough data to make any definitive statements, but I feel like creatives, people that truly need to make, are most reliant on their emotions. This can be seen in the extremes of artists like Van Gogh, but it is also more subtle. Sure, the more you tap into these emotions the more it might compound the output, but that is true for most things. I am not telling you to give in to your latest bout of depression to make your next work of art, just to be cognizant if your latest creation happened around a moment of pain.
Your creative trigger might be entirely different. You might feel happiness, anger, or even euphoria prior to your rush of creativity. So think back to your last poem, painting, or music piece – what were you feeling when you made it? Where does your creativity come from? Let me know in the comments or reply to the email.
The latest edition of Async Chats went live this week. I had the opportunity to interview Karl Koch. We chatted about how constraints can enable or limit creativity. Give it a read!
Enlightening post ...and I've bookmarked the links for later reading.