500 WORDS, DAY 7: How Much Creativity Is Too Much?

This is Day 7 of writing 500 daily words on my blog. It might not be much for now, but we have to remember to be proud of ourselves for the small steps we complete on our way towards bigger goals, otherwise we can end up feeling overwhelmed and demotivated. I’ve had to learn this over and over again.

• If you want to start reading from the beginning of this writing endeavor, check out DAY 1.
• If you want to start reading yesterday’s post, since today’s post continues from that topic, you can check out DAY 6.

So, we were inquiring into the mind of a very creative person, someone who has trouble focusing their time and attention on one sole project, maybe not in the short term, but more throughout the years and when it comes to the general direction, or lack thereof, of their lives. Is such a person simply lacking in organizational skills? Would they benefit from limiting themselves and trying to steer their lives in one specific direction? Should this person sacrifice multiple interests that catch their attention in order to focus on one specific interest only? Well, I guess it depends on why they are interested in it in the first place. If you are doing it because you love it then you shouldn’t have to sacrifice anything else. You can spend some time with one activity, and spend another chunk of your time on another; you can divide your time as you please. Now, if your reason for wanting to immerse yourself in an activity is because you expect to make money from it, then unfortunately dividing your time across multiple interests is not ideal at all. It will most likely drive you crazy because you never know what to fully throw yourself into, and by the time you do know, if you ever do get to know, it might just be too late for you to make your way into your chosen endeavor.

The thought of this is something that both excites me and terrifies me, the sheer number of possibilities which are available to us as human beings on this earth. With every step we take, with every action we perform, multiple doors close and just as many open up to us. The same is true of all species, I guess, but the stakes seem to be higher for humans. For example, if we were fish we could breathe underwater and other things of that sort, and, being fish, we would probably be satisfied with that, unaware of the reality which is the complexity of the human mind and the world it navigates on a daily basis. Since we are humans however, we can see that, although as fish we would surely possess some abilities which we currently do not, the abilities which humans possess and which fish do not are much greater and more varied than is the other way around. We seem to feel like our lives have to make sense to us, like we have to be at peace with our story, both past and present, and it can be petrifying to think that one small decision could lead us on a path which will lead our lives to make sense in a bad way.

Is there a right way to live? Do I have to make something of myself as a specialist in a specific field? It almost seems that way. How can I contribute to society otherwise? Am I required or expected to contribute? Not by other people but by the laws of the universe, the laws of life? And if I am required to contribute, and I don’t, will I be punished for it in some way? How much am I supposed to contribute? How do I balance the time I spend immersed in what is of real interest to me, and the time I spend trying to advance in whatever it is that the world expects of me? I guess what I’m asking is, if I spend my time making music that no one needs, am I offending the world in some way? Should I be studying medicine so that I can save lives? Will people die because I’ve spent my time making music? It seems ridiculous, I know, and maybe it truly is. It seems to be a very real struggle for many of us, how to maintain our individuality in this world without becoming completely isolated and self-absorbed or selfish.

If you have a minute please listen to my song ‘every breath is a blessing’. I appreciate your listen!