Sometimes, I wonder about myself.
See, I have this unconditional need to create. I can't fight it, and I actually think it's getting to the point of being manic... for example, last night around 9:45, getting ready to go to sleep, checking emails and the like, I was hit with an idea that I just had to try, involving jewelry stuffs and leather.
Instead of doing like most people and writing it down and trying it today, I ran down into my work space and dug out all of my leather scraps and jewelry supplies and made the necklace. It's like I cannot fight this urge to do something, and now, since the initial one last night was such a phenominal success, I'm going to go crazy this weekend and make more of them!
See? I just can't control myself. I should be sewing (I just found two wa-loli outfits half completed on a pile, when trying to find my leather for this project last night...) and I should be answering emails (I've let them go way longer than even I like them to go, and it's starting to keep me awake at night...) but I'm not!
I should also be working on my business plan more - I've hit a standstill with financials and the marketing plan, but, of course, I'm not!
I should be taking pictures of all of the stuff I've gone on random tangents to make (such as those obi belts (but Steampunk varieties), all of the miniature cocktail hats I made a few weeks ago on a similar binge, and quite a few bustles/other pieces of clothing I haven't even thought of in a week!) but I just can't bring myself to ... do ... anything but make what's in my head right now.
Is this the bane of being a creative person? Or, is there something about me that just means I cannot sit still and just do what needs to be done? What is it?
Does anyone else out there get like this? What do you do? How do you deal with it? I worry that this may be a manifestation of some underlying problem with myself, but I honestly have no idea.
8 comments:
I get that urge too, completely (I think it truly is a creative person thing)! My problem moreso is that I don't have the skill to do whats in my head - so I end up buying all these materials, realize I don't know how to do what I want to do, and then give up leaving all of this STUFF around the house.
If you ever need an extra set of hands for photography, listing items, making stuff, or even someone to type as you dictate - let me know! I'm generally free most weekends :D
Absolutely! I feel your pain! Funny enough it was last night for me and leather and chain. :P
Right now I have about 4 different new accessory items I want to make and add to my shop. All great ideas that I just *know* will do well. And then there are all the new designs for my arm warmers and fingerless gloves that I want to get done- and the list only grows daily. Right now I am sitting at work itching to get home and start a sewing frenzy. I just cant seem the time to knock them out, unless, like you, its jumping up out of bed and doing them right as I think of them.
I have about 5 pairs already made that I need to list. Have I yet? No :P Creative minds seem to jump around a lot, get side tracked, and get in these fits of "I MUST create NOW". Its like an itch that you can't make go away until you sit down and do it.
Its a good feeling to know I am not alone in that :P If only someone could explain that to my boyfriend who sees me as insane when I leave the nice cozy bed to dash to the sewing room or to dig through supplies to fulfill my idea.
I love you work. Have for a long time. Maybe its things like this that drive us to be what we are. No use really fighting it :P Plus, look at the beautiful things you create that come from it :D There is no better feeling than after you complete and bring to reality a design or concept. No matter the time of day ;)
<3
Wren
Zen And Coffee Designs
http://www.zenandcoffee.etsy.com
No, there's nothing wrong with you. You're a creative person, and like the rest of us when it hits you it HITS you. You are far from the only person who wakes up at all hours of the night and makes a mad dash for your creative space. My husband made me keep a notebook and pen on my nightstand, but it doesn't help. I jot down a note or two, then at 2am he grumbles at me to just get out of bed and go work on it.
Half my friends on facebook are crafters, and every day at least one of them has posted a message at 1 am stating "I should be asleep, but I just drew the coolest picture!"
My financial plan and business proposition? Still in my HEAD. Everything that I want to create? Sitting finished or half finished on my desk.
It's the bane of being creative, we are selfish beings who have to fulfill what our brains tell us to, and leave everything else on the back burner.
I have been and am still struck by this urge to make quite often. The one that's hardest for me to resist is writing, because when I try to control that then I tend to forget the epic speeches and perfect wording and totally screw up the scene I had a grasp on before and end up disappointing and discouraging myself.
However, I have two stories from my years in public school as to why I force myself into a less active and more thoughtful role. First was 6th grade. I almost failed. Not because it was hard or because I was stupid, but because I didn't do what I was supposed to. That was around the time I decided I wanted to be an author, and I was crazy about plotting and making characters and writing things down; to the point I was horribly disorganized and simply not doing my homework despite perfectly absorbing the material taught and knowing it better than 99% of the other kids in my grade (let alone my class). So, lesson learned, I was better from then on out.
Wrong, I did it again freshman year of high school. And to be completely honest, that has still negatively effected my life to this day. My GPA wasn't what it could have been, playing catchup AND keeping up kept me from doing most of the extracurricular activities scholarship and college people like to see, and I likely could have earned more money before college to keep now from being so desperate and almost hopeless in trying to stay out of debt but stay in college (because I know if I stop for even one semester to earn money, I'd never get myself back up to going back). I screwed a lot up because I couldn't control the urge to create.
So, I slowly trained myself to think it out to perfection before actually doing any thing. This allows me to build up ideas and when I find a safe time where I have some leeway to deal with non-time-sensitive issues (or even time sensitive things, but with a far out deadline) I can stay up for three days on end and create to my heart's content. :P So it's not so much managing creativity, as it is managing TIME and ACTION.
I realize you're not in school any more, and that the above story may not resonate that much because of that. But you're trying to start a physical business while still running an online/commission one. That's just as important as school was for me; if not more so because this is your livelihood and screwing up means losing money, which means falling behind on bills and getting in debt (or more, if you already have some) and coming under more stress than you even needed to and all the bad things that come from that.
Maybe this need to create might be a sign that this is what makes you happy and that having a physical store isn't what will be best for you in the end. Maybe creating without another's direction is what powers you and that should be your focus in your stores rather than commissions and the like. I don't know. But I do know that letting this run rampant to the detriment of your plans, your store(s), and your customers will only hurt you in the end.
I feel exactly the same way, but i figured that i had no "stickativity" to one project before i decided to try and make a living from it. I tried to limit myself to just making masks for etsy, but found that as soon as i said that, i discovered ten other crafts i wanted to do! In the end i closed my etsy shop and now just float free on the crafty winds, doing what i please!( although i now have a WIP pile as big as my stash pile!)
As I tweeted, no, you're not alone!
I have a feeling that anyone who really has to channel their artistic side for work/school/whatever is bound to find times where inspiration and motivation are just fluid and constant and it has to be addressed immediately before it leaves. I think we're all a little cyclical and go through periods of make/design/do followed by periods of unmotivated/uninspired/unfocused. I say harness the inspiration when it hits. I'm sure stress, emotional issues, and other unrelated factors can either jump start or stall us out depending on one's personality type too. If I have a deadline I usually have motivation even if stressed out and tired. If something is just calling my name, I'll work on it until my eyes hurt and I start making too many small mistakes in the process. It's a little manic, but artists are supposed to be moody and temperamental right? :P
Make whatever is in your head that calls you to do it. If you don't, you won't be able to focus well on the other stuff you should be doing anyway so you might as well get something accomplished, right? If it starts to get really bad, start making up a schedule. You can only work on what's in your mind for 3 hours and then for 2 hours after that you have to work on your business plan or take photos or whatever else. It might even help to set a timer or alarm to remind you. You might have some mild OCD going on (I know I have issues with it) that keeps you from breaking away from what you're working on.
- T
I think it's an indication that you are wonderful, creative person that acts on inspirational impulses. You might need someone to take care of your finances and to keep you in check... you also might need to force yourself to just write down the idea for later sometimes. But it's all about balance. :3 You'll find it soon enough.
i have to stalk you on here now?!
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