While We Dream: Creative Process Often Misunderstood

In the midst of a creative life and after countless conversations with other Creatives, I’ve come to believe that many people understand very little about their creative process and the creative process in general. Expectations–defined and reinforced by social mores–often have to do with achieving goals based on tangible production. For a writer, that means word counts and page counts. But, really, creative process does not bow to our everyday expectations.

Writers often talk about “productive days” versus “next to nothing” days. And our idea of what is productive and what is not…well, our conscious, every day, practical minds usually have very limited, skewed views of what our process “should be”.  In fact, we consciously have very little (or no) clue about what’s going on in the creative undercurrents!

As a creative writer–or painter, sculptor, dancer–my job is to remain curious and explore possibilities, both on the page and off. Knowing the “right” answer is not my job. Knowing exactly how it’s going to play out–not my job. Exploring the truth of my characters–yes, my job. Exploring human dilemmas, impossible dilemmas, the agony of surrender and transformation–yes, my job.

Remaining curious–absolutely my job.

Trust and faith in the complex and mysterious layers of my creative process–yes, my job.