I stole the quote above from this blog post on HelloGiggles.com, a site founded by actress and singer Zooey Deschanel, and had to share. If you haven't checked out the full site, give it a go. It's got a random collection of articles and essays on food, fashion, work, culture, self-help-y advice, and even a section on cute, cuddly pets. It's new to me and has been fun to explore when I've had a spare moment during the day (or didn't have spare moment, but just needed a quick time-out from work!).
 
I often joke that I could write a book about all the different day jobs I've had during my twenties--Hollywood Video clerk, assistant to a Circuit Court Judge, substitute teacher, waitress, office manager of a lumber company, drama teacher, and surgical scheduler, just to name a few. At each one, I have had moments where I convince myself that everyone else in the world is getting to do their creative work while I sit at a desk and answer phones, or, as in my waitressing days, deliver breakfast for a table of five.
 
While it doesn't always help with some of the bigger frustrations of my day, learning that it is a myth that everyone else except me is doing what they love all the time has been very helpful in reducing the elaborate pity parties I've been known to throw for myself (ok, so I still throw them, but now they're more like dinner parties as opposed to full-out ragers). The post is chock full of well known ladies and the day jobs they used to do, along with a pithy piece of advice they would give to all of us creatives who are trying to make both a living and a life for ourselves. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and are able to revel in the feeling of knowing that none of us are alone on this adventurous, often painful, but always rewarding, creative climb.

And if after checking out the post, you need some additional inspiration and motivation as we coast into the weekend, there's always "Hold On" by the Alabama Shakes. Happy Thursday!

Liz Gilbert's Advice for Creatives:

1. Don't buy into the myth that in order to be creative, you have to be depressed and moody. all the time. We all feel this way sometimes, but if we stay in these dark places too long, we will lose the ability to create and connect with others. Stay hopeful and keep working!

2. "Writer's block" (or any kind of block for that matter) is, in her opinion, fear in disguise. She suggests seeing fear as a conjoined twin of creativity. Fear is not ever going to go away, it'll be on every journey you take with creativity. You must accept that, but also set ground rules for how much control fear has in your life and process. Let fear know from the start of a project that you won't be listening to it at all and it doesn't get to make any of the decisions about what you do or where you go.

3. "There is no such thing as an arts emergency." I loved this one--she explains that while it's easy to fear failing at a creative project, we must realize that no one will die because of it, and the worst that can happen is the project doesn't meet our expectations. Yes, it's disappointing, but not life-threatening. Don't be afraid to take risks, fail spectacularly, and then start over again.

4. Follow your curiosity, not your passion. She explains here (excuse the lengthy quote, it's so worth it!):

"I am a big advocate for the pursuit of curiosity. We are constantly being told to pursue our passions in life, but there are times when passion is a TALL ORDER, and really hard to reach. In seasons of confusion, of loss, of boredom, of insecurity, of distraction, the idea of "passion" can feel completely inaccessible and impossible. In such times, you are lucky to be able to get your laundry done (that sometimes feels as high as you can aim) and when someone tells you to follow your passion, you want to give them the middle finger. (Go ahead and do it, by the way. But wait till their back is turned, out of civility.)

But curiosity, I have found, is always within reach.

Passion is a tower of flame, but curiosity is a tiny tap on the shoulder — a little whisper in the ear that says, "Hey, that's kind of interesting…"

Passion is rare; curiosity is everyday.

Curiosity is therefore a lot easier to reach at at times than full-on passion — and the stakes are lower, easier to manage.

The trick is to just follow your small moments of curiosity. It doesn't take a massive effort. Just turn your head an inch. Pause for a instant. Respond to what has caught your attention. Look into it a bit. Is there something there for you? A piece of information?

For me, a lifetime devoted to creativity is nothing but a scavenger hunt — where each successive clue is another tiny little hit of curiosity. Pick each one up, unfold it, see where it leads you next.

Small steps.

Keep doing that, and I promise you: The curiosity will eventually lead you to the passion.

And that'll be the end of boredom."


Here's wishing that we all find something to be curious about this week!

I recently found this graphic online. I LOVE it. I think it captures the shape of a creative project perfectly: I start out enthusiastic, feeling like I've thought of the best thing in the world, then I get to actually working on said project to find that, well, it's not such a great idea. In fact, it's a terrible idea and not working out; it's harder than I thought, and messy, and damn it, why did I EVER think this as a good idea?!

Then, in the end, the project finds equilibrium between brilliant and horrible, and reaches a status of "ok". I've found myself frustrated with this process in the past but seeing this graphic and having long conversations with friends and colleagues assures me that this cycle is normal for all of us. It's ok.

What do you think? What's the shape to your project?

Here's the full link to the blog entry from which I snagged this little graphic: the shape of days  Happy Saturday!