The Dark Side of Being a Highly Creative Individual

We live at a time where people across the globe have an opportunity to be as creative as they want, and be expressive as they want at a larger scale than ever before. This has undoubtedly opened up doors for creative individuals to take on the path of forming their livelihoods and income based on the art forms they create.

As evidence, there's been a huge number of creatives that have created for themselves, the comfortable lives they envisioned, and they make enormous income by doing what they really love and are authentically talented in.

This proves to many that: one can actually achieve all their life's goals by purely focusing on their craft. Doing what they love however they want to, can be as creative as they want to without anyone else telling them otherwise, and are able to live their best lives.

However, what most people do not recognize is that the independent creative space is a high risk-reward, low-risk low reward space; and the number of independent artists/creatives that make a comfortable living for themselves early on is very low. Inversely to that, there's a massively huge number of number independent artists/creatives that fail at creating comfortable sustainable lives for themselves. Their chosen path to use their creativity as a means of creating comfortable lives places them at the back foot.

The unfortunate part of all this is that you can go all in high risk in your craft, no matter how talented you may be, and still not make it through to fully succeed.

Let us take musicians for example, there are a lot of talented musically gifted individuals but they just don't get a breakthrough, what they do never goes anywhere. Some of them do it for many years until they eventually give up.

Now, imagine if you are to only focus on your artistry (can be painting, music, acting, writing etc) as a way of making a living, and you fall onto the pillar of those that do not easily make it? You are growing, maybe you have a child that you are responsible for, or even an entire family and other responsibilities, what happens when things seem like they are not coming together? Even perhaps after like 15 years of putting in the work?

We all are talented in different ways, and unfortunately in the real world, luck works.

Moreover, whom you know seems to work better than the talent you may possess. You may not have luck as the other guy, and you may not know the right people like the other guy.

In the meantime, while you are working your way up to creating a life that is independent, and purely based on your craft, it may be wise to find something that will provide you with the finances or resources to make life bearable, not only for yourself but also for the people around you.

You can find a job, and harness your skill or craft after hours. It is shocking how people act as if they don't have time when they actually do have time, even when working a 9 - 5 job. Do not get me wrong, it is important to go all-in in what you believe in and it is of critical importance to believe in yourself and what you do. However, we need to consider the variables that the real-world demands.

Being creative is fun and nothing beats doing what you love all day every day, but not everyone can get have the luck of living their dreams only through their artistry. Surely, it will happen someday, but for the next person, it happened when he was 24, what if it happens for you when you are 53?

As a die-hard creative, that is; unfortunately, the dark side of it all. There's so much competition, there may be so many people who have more advantages over you, and many other contributing factors.

When I say it may be wise to do something that will give you the resources to maintain stability in the meantime, I do not mean have a job and be comfortable and forget about your talent. Your talents/artistry is to be funded by that job you may get. Your job is not for you to live lavishly, and make enormous financial commitment and feel like that is what life is.

This happens because unfortunately the real-world and your growth demands certain things. Imagine having to purely harness your creativity without worrying about making a sale on your art because rent is due in a few days? Your job should provide for that while you focus on your artistry and creativity.

There will always be a dark side to being a creative and when you fully commit into creating the life you desire through creating. The only rational thing to do is to be realistic because ultimately the real world is real and has it's own requirements. Hence it can be dark to be a highly creative individual in this world.