Continue to Create, Even Amidst the Chaos.
Often, as creators, our surroundings are the source of both direct and indirect inspiration.
The people we know, the vibrant and unique places we live, the surroundings of our daily life, and oftentimes our inspirations also form much outside of ourselves, with our spirits being sometimes drawn to opposing ideas that encourage our own, or even inspire us to make sure there is a voice for an opposing idea, or a visible representation of our artistic differences.
It is, in my opinion, the very thing that makes all of our artistic creations so unique, powerful, and ultimately beautiful.
When art in whatever form it finds is created, it is often the visible representation of someone’s surroundings, but even more importantly, of their heart and soul.
However, because most creators or artists are empaths by nature, we are sometimes also influenced to not create by many of those same surroundings. When we live in chaos, if we are able to create at all, sometimes our art takes on a chaotic tone, look, sound, or feel.
Sometimes we are made to feel as though our art is too small or unworthy or inappropriate for the times, so we suppress or allow our creativity to be suppressed completely.
Sometimes it’s the very people we are surrounded by that we allow to suppress that creativity, oftentimes because they simply don’t understand it or just don’t get it, or they don’t feel we can make a proper living doing that, or there are more important things for us to be doing with our time, or any one of a million other reasons.
Often, because of our empathetic nature, we think it would be easier if we just created less, or if we we’re simply not as vocal about it when we are, or if we just don’t share it at all, or worse, we simply choose to stop creating altogether.
Many times we find ourselves more actively creative in chaotic times, like the one we are currently living in, and we feel guilty that our creativity is flowing. We feel as though it shouldn’t be, or that we are somehow in the wrong when it is.
Sometimes we feel that what we have to say or what we might want to depict might be tone-deaf in some way, or that it isn’t valid at that given moment in time, or often that it just isn’t relevant enough. Some days we wake up and feel no passion for creating at all, and on others we can’t control the many ideas that ebb and flow.
All of these reasons are exactly why I’m writing this article today, to tell you that you are needed, your art is needed, your voice is needed. You may not feel as though it is, and you may feel down about the things going on in our world.
You may feel that your art is not impactful, and you might potentially be right, the impact that your art will have on someone else may not even be seen in your lifetime, but I know that someday, in some way, it will mean something to someone, but only if you create it in the first place.
Now more so than ever we must show great heart and continue to create, because art in all of its forms is necessary to civilization. We may allow our surroundings to inspire us, but we cannot allow those surroundings to conspire against us, we must not let them convince us to stop creating.
We must allow ourselves the freedom to create within the chaos, because our collective artistry is what truly makes our world so uniquely beautiful.
So, lovely creators, I challenge you to continue to create within the chaos and share your unique voice and perspective.
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Ashley Faith works as a Fitness Franchise Manager and as the Business Manager for a metal artist’s shop. She has been a singer/songwriter and poet for as long as she can remember, only more recently has she been feeling the need to write more, and to say the things that are in her heart about life, love, happiness and finding herself in the midst of losing herself completely, because it took her so completely losing herself in her work, her life and her friendships to really find herself again.