You have an interesting perspective about creativity, a topic which is really close to my heart.

However, let me add my two cent’s here–oops, Ali is offended now–I meant quids/shillings!

I have shared my creative work with a number of people. I guess too many people.

My people were quite eager to share feedback–or should I say a punch in the nose?

They told me to get a real job–like farming or construction work–and stop the artsy/fartsy stuff.

Writing experts/coaches gave up on me a long time ago, and yet I keep on plugging away.

I used to be a regular at poetry slams and recited my poems “in front of a a captive audience”.

And I actually got slammed as soon as I reached the parking lot. (I tried to escape from goons).

People were incredibly annoyed that they had to suffer through my verse– and worse, my voice– which makes the crows fall dead off the branches of trees.

The trick is, don’t take yourself too seriously. Create poems in a spirit of play.

And try not to take rejection personally, if you can. Share poems in a spirit of play.

Maybe you can use the criticism to improve on your writing the next time?

Write to please yourself–the critics come later. Write whenever inspiration strikes you.

And if you receive “rejection slips” galore, who cares? That’s the story of my life, actually.

I make paper airplanes out of my rejection slips and give them away to children.

And the children appreciate my work much more than art snobs, know-it-alls and experts.

Not only is my creative work silly, but I am sillier. In fact, I know I am a real whack job.

I found that out a long time ago.

That’s why I approach my creative work like a clown in a circus.

Lighten up and keep your chin up.

And share whatever you have with the world anyway.

Who cares it you fall short? We all fall short anyway. “To err is human/to forgive, divine,” wrote a poet once. (We don’t need to write like Shakespeare, Tennyson, and William Blake.)

I am so absent-minded, I can’t even remember the name of the poet, but I love the line anyway. So, buck up and go for it.

And Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way is an excellent recommendation by Ali.

And sharing your work with others is not at all arrogant. You are just sharing and allowing others to share with you as well. Have you ever attended a writer’s conference/seminar?

It is (sort of like) a round table conference and people share their works with other writers. And you give feedback and get feedback too. And it is great experience. Cheers!

And I wish you great success in your creative efforts. And hope to read some of your poems!

Have you come across Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way? I’m reading it at the moment and I think you might find it thought-provoking.

That’s an excellent post…I could relate to that very well…infact my biggest fear is sharing my poems and articles openly with the world…At times I feel they are silly and that I am being arrogant by going out there and asking people to read them….but I know that what i am feeling is not right….after all how can you expect others to respect your creativity when you don’t respect it yourself
.-= Swati´s last blog ..Take me home =-.

That’s an interesting point about energy, and in fact I think I agree with you: I definitely find that I struggle to write well early on in a writing session, then get “flowing” after an hour or two. I can’t keep that up all dya though!

I would like to add one thing. You write that creating takes energy. I agree with that. For me, though, I find that the more I create, the more energy I have to keep create. It’s a matter of inertia. Though I too have trouble writing hours on end. Playing music, though, that’s a different story: I hate to stop!

As always, thanks for the wonderful writing.
.-= Seth M. Baker´s last blog ..How to Get Out of a Rut (for Cheap) =-.

I love the way you describe the perfectonist-inside. I’ve become a lot braver about showing early drafts to people, and not worrying about trying to get everything polished before letting the world take a peak!

The two parts that really connect for me in terms of the social reasons creativity matters are the vulnerability required to share, and the unknowable benefits of sharing.

We don’t know what our ideas and art will or could mean to other people until we release our work into the world and let it mix together with the life experiences of our audience.

I’ve found that it’s often the parts that I’m most concerned about or frustrated with that people end up liking, or those little afterthoughts that slip in before the perfectionists get to them.

The perfectionists in us, that team of professional second-guessers, are put in their place by proving them wrong over and over again, by sharing work, reading and hearing the reactions, and learning what other people get out of it. Scary, but essential. Thanks for a great post.
.-= Matt Blair´s last blog ..Words on a Screen =-.