Creativity

Today, I found an interesting video on TED with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, talking about Nurturing Creativity.

I don't necessarily believe in everything said in this video, as I believe people should take full responsibility for their work and their failures, but I also can't help thinking about an old movie that really touched me called 28 Days. I'm not good at asking for help when I need it, and I don't think a lot of writers know when to stop and ask for help, and take some of that reponsponsibility off their shoulders.

Our society is very much so success-based and I think tht can be detrimental to authors who do make it big. I've always said I've never wanted to be a hit sensation, because what happens afterwards?

Yes, its about your writing, and yes it's about what you can do to make it big. But I think becoming a world-renouned success is not just abotu the author or the writing. Sometimes, people get lucky. As Gilbert said, sometimes the stars line up just right. Maybe someone reads the book and becomes so in love with it, they premote your book more than anyone else.

But back onto the topic that Gilbert was discussing, which was creativity. She mentioned the genius and the daemon, and I think a lot of writers still use that idea of someone else helping them, but they call it a muse. I used to write heavy fanfiction in my early teens and you'd hear that word thrown around everywhere. It was all about your muse, where she was, what she was doing, why she kept leaving and coming at inappropriate times.

But as I delved into forums dealing with more mature writers and established athors, that word seemed to melt away. Why? Do writers find it immature to beg some supernatural being to "please be polite as I'm driving and please come back when I have a moment to write the idea down"? Is it ego? Is it childish?

A few conflicting thoughts, but it's interesting to think about.

Peace,

-Katie