The Land of Creativity: Comfort Zone vs Cutting Edge

[nuanc]

We're less than a week old and I'm already awed by the variety and excellence I'm seeing on the site. Well done, everyone!

I'm also thinking things like, "Why did I ever think I was creative?"

I don't dwell on thoughts like that. But they pass through my mind. And good riddance to them!

I'm thinking that there are others who've joined who might be feeling that too. Sometimes when we're exposed to the creativity of others, it can leave us feeling insecure.

I think we need to talk about it. :-)

I guess I think that if your thing is photography or writing haiku, or crocheting hats (for 3 examples), then that is enough, plenty, sufficient and GOOD.

Don't feel that just because someone else is into entirely different kinds of creativity (or lots of other kinds) that you are somehow lacking. Those who do LOTS of different things have their own problems for sure.

We want, it seems to me, to be just outside our comfort zones so that we will be challenged and inspired to grow, but close enough that we can stick our toes back in what is known and where we feel some competency whenever we get over-exposed.

Thoughts?

[Erica]

I'm one of those who do LOTS of different things - I get fired up when I see something new and NEED to try it, as a result I sometimes think I've become a dabbler and that dabbling often gives me the feeling of insecurity you are talking about.

I know inside that I am doing some good work and I have a really good group of artistic friends who are very supportive and tell me I give *them* feelings of insecurity (grin).

I think one of the things that has helped me come to grips with this is simply time - I don't mean finding the time to work on the art (none of us ever have enough of that!)

I think I mean that I've reached a stage of my life where making a career and being recognised in a particular field is not an issue - not because I've achieved it but because it is no longer important to me.

Some years ago I pointed out to my husband a newspaper article about an artist, with a touch of envy I said "look at her, she's the same age as me and we do the same thing, and she's FAMOUS"

"BUT" said my husband "she's probably only ever done that one thing"

I think he meant it to be critical of my flitting around and (more important! BUYING all those materials)
but instead it made me stop and think that I would never be happy doing just one thing and who needs fame, when you can live a happy creative life just close enough to the edge of the comfort zone that you can slip over it when you want.

I'm rambling....I really meant to agree with you that it doesn't matter if you do one thing or many, and it also doesn't matter what you are doing, if it is *yours* then put your all into it, do the best you can with it and enjoy, that's all that matters.

[Debbie - My Spare Time Design]

He may have meant that to encourage you to settle on only a few things, but it is also true that that woman is only doing one thing and wow, i wonder if she ever feels trapped or pressed to produce, produce, produce.....I think there are more crafters out there like those of us here...call it an inability to sit still, a drive to exprerience all we can....heck even ADHD...lol (my eldest son) but i for one enjoy that need to be doing something and trying something....sometimes it gets out of hand ($$$) but we are usually able to rein it back in....
I think that you can tell when someone creates something with their heart and soul and you are right, if it's a knit dishcloth or a hand painted canvas...if it's yours CELEBRATE it!

[Debbie - My Spare Time Design]

Hahahah....boy have you nailed me on the head....and these things run through your mind usually when your feeling down about the weather ie winter...or at least for me and also when i have all kinds of ideas and never seem to see them through to finish...and yet others seem so prolific and all encompassing....but i used to try do all types of craft and ended up with a room 10 x 10 full of "stuff" and feeling guilty i had a room to myself and others had a corner in their homes and managed....so off to the Salvation Army and kids schools went the excess and i made myself decide on three areas i really enjoyed and that was that...and they do extend outside my comfort zone sometimes but for me if i don't have to go out and buy all new items to try a project then that's a good sign...
Last year my partner and I separated for couple months and that's when i realized i needed to do this cleaning, and i also took back to knitting just straight scarves and some baby sets(why????) with no purpose other than to keep busy...
I sold half of them at an impromptu fundraisier for my son's wrestling team, and this year sold the rest and more...and people ask about them...was never my intention but i think it was meant to be because it helped me before it became a public and profitable activity....
I think that's why i am here, to see what others are dong but not necessarily to try every craft, just to see what people are trying, that others attempt, and sometimes fail or change direction too...and to show off i guess, to people who unlike my kids, might be a little impressed or even understanding of what it takes to get the end result..lol...

[Sherry Ramsey]

I know I'm a dabbler, but I'm also okay with that. ;-) I do like to have things work out when I try them, but I find I don't stress about it too much. I've had this conversation with my sister, who thinks I can "do anything" but I believe it's more about the fact that I will TRY anything without analyzing it too much first--I just sort of jump in. The fact that things usually work out passably well, I attribute more to attitude than anything else.

Of course it could just be that I'm easily pleased, too. ;-)

Anyway, I'm quite likely to try anything creative that appeals to me, just for the fun of it, and usually without worrying about whether I will be "good" at it. The things that I find I LOVE doing (like colored pencil) are what I will spend more time at (and more money on!). But I think we should feel good about just trying things, whether they work out or not. I'm sure we get something out of every creative experience, that will eventually influence something else we turn our hand to later on.

[Joyce]

I dabble in lots of things too...and feel like because of that I might never become really good at any one thing. But I just don 't think I could stand to do one craft/art all the time. I just like to try new things, go back to old ones, do something pretty arty, then something very crafty following someone else's instructions.

One thing I've found that I like to do through it all is art journaling. It gives me ideas as I go along, helps me keep a good eye for drawing, and the variety! I can collage, draw, paint, stamp, write, scrapbook............ of course it results in something just for me, not something I can sell.

Anyway, I guess most of the time I feel insecure about my artwork because I know I'll probably never settle down to one thing. For a while I let that insecurity keep me from making much of anything, but now I'm learning to dabble to my heart's content.

[Cynthia C.]

I am what Barbara Sher refers to as a scanner. It used to bug me that I don't focus on one thing to the point of "perfection" (whatever that is) but no longer. It is just me. I know a little bit about a lot of things.

Creatively speaking as a young girl, I loved embroidery and even learned to crochet a bit. As an adult, the demands of young children took most of my adult creative time but I was always dong something with the kiddos. In the last five years, I have started writing, then painting, mixed media, now tackling drawing. Poetry beckons me and I want to learn to play the guitar. I also find now that fiber arts has come back around, I'd like to crochet again and learn to knit and finish that cross stitch project I started when I was pregnant with my 21 yod.

It's fun to have so many different interests and to play with them for various lengths of times. Everything in it's season!