OMG! You ’ re So Weird!

Do you ever look at a creative/artsy individual and think “that is one weird human being”? Do you ever sit back and wonder why they’re so strange and different from all the rest? What makes them tick? Why do they do things so differently than everyone else? There’s so many questions you could ask about us weird folk but I decided to do a little research and give some insight to the way we are. One of the most interesting things I’ve found are the things we do so differently than everyone else. The things that really set us creatives apart.

Time to Turn it Around:

Creatives tend to turn obstacles around. Ever wonder why the iconic stories and songs are about gut wrenching heartbreak? Think about it. The artist must’ve went through something to find inspiration behind those lyrics and words, right? Let’s take Taylor Swift for example. Each of her songs have been written based on failed relationships. She used something that would ground most of us and she turned it into something positive for herself. Miss Swift found the silver lining in those fails. As creatives we do that. We take what was supposed to be a roadblock and we turn it into a speed bump. You could learn a thing or two from us. When life gets you down, get back up, punch life in the face and tell it “you fight like a little bitch!”

Ask Away:

Creatives ask questions. We are inquisitive by nature and want to know the who, what, why when and where of every situation. Ever talk to a creative person? Have you told them a story or an experience about your life? What did they do? That’s right, they asked so many questions, by the time you were done telling the story you forgot what the hell you were even talking about. We want to know EVERYTHING. Why? Because we learn from every single nuance of life. We can take a small fragment of a conversation and imagine it in a song, or the pages of a book. We aren’t happy with simple answers, we want details. Give us the freaking details!

Eyes Are The Window:

Creatives are the masters at people watching. Yeah, it’s a bit creepy but we do it, and often. You probably haven’t noticed that guy sitting in the local Starbucks sipping his latte while pecking away on his laptop. Think he’s just doing school work? Nope. Chances are he’s watching the people around him and getting a feel for a character or subject of something. Maybe that lady chatting loudly on the phone at the counter inspires him to create a character that will annoy his audience. Or the barista behind the counter wiping the sweat from her brow might just be the muse for his next bestselling novel. For us, it’s fun to watch people. We pick up on body language, the signals others miss. We aren’t making fun of you, but you guys are super interesting to us.

Can’t Spell Risk Without…Risk:

Creatives are massive risk takers. We have to be. You try writing a novel and having it tossed into the great unknown. Every single time an artist debuts a new song, painting or book, we are risking everything. We are risking being ridiculed by those who hate what we’ve created. If that’s not risk I don’t know what is. Risk in our work isn’t the only thing we tend to be risk takers in. The majority of creatives aren’t afraid to take risks with food, fashion or just about anything in life. To us, it’s fun. It’s what inspires us to keep creating.

That ’ s Beautiful:

Creatives constantly surround themselves with beauty. We need things to stimulate our senses when creating. What better to do that with than beautiful things, right? Ever wonder why an author tries to find different places to write? We will go outside, to a coffee shop, or even just a different room of the house to write. Why? We are looking for something beautiful to inspire us. Beautiful people, places and things get the creative juices flowing and set our passions on fire. We are always searching for the next beautiful thing to make all of that happen. Who knows, you might just be that beautiful thing we’re looking for.

What Time is It?:

Creatives constantly lose track of time. My husband can attest to this. When I write, I get in the zone and damn near nothing can yank me out of it. The house could be burning down around me and I would keep on writing. Time doesn’t exist when you’re creating your masterpiece. Your fingers fly over the keys, your mind is trapped in an alternate universe and you’re so immersed in what you’re doing that nothing else matters. Think of it this way…an athlete enters an arena with ten thousand screaming fans. He has to play a game. A game that he’s damn good at. But how does he forget the pressure, the cheers that are so loud they are making the court vibrate? How does he block out the worry and stress that comes from all of these factors? That’s right, he gets in the zone. He puts his game face on and plays like he’s never played before. He doesn’t hear those fans. He doesn’t even see them. He blocks it all out and just does what he’s good at. The same goes for us creatives. We block out the world around us and begin to create our own.

Passion isn’t just a fruit:

Creatives follow their true passions. We are designed to act from some internal desire, rather than a desire for external reward or recognition. What does that mean? It means that our passion is so deep, we only want to be self-rewarded. The outside opinions and recognitions don’t really matter to us. Passion is what drives us in all things. Not only are we passionate about what we do, we are passionate about EVERYTHING. Ever heard that an artist is a sublime lover? Yeah, think about that one. Have you ever gotten into an argument with a creative? No? You’re lucky! We don’t tend to back down very easily. We will argue our point until we’re blue in the face. Every word that comes out of our mouth will be passion driven during said argument. It’s such a deep seeded thing with us that we can’t help but throw passion into everything we do and say. Don’t fault us for it, celebrate it with us.

Adventure Time:

Creatives tend to seek out new experiences. Every experience for us is a lesson, an inspiration. Have you read the book Eat, Pray, Love? You’re missing out if you haven’t! This was a creative who was stifled in a relationship just dying to break free. She wanted to see the world, to taste it, to touch it. She wanted experience things that she’d only once dreamt about. So she did. She sought out adventure. That’s what we do. We want to know everything about everything so we seek out answers about what we’re searching for. We aren’t afraid to hop on a plane and land in a place we’ve never been before. We aren’t afraid to challenge ourselves by doing things that others think are insane. Want to step out of your box? Make a friend with a creative. I guarantee that person will pull you out of your box so fast your head will spin.

Time to Work:

Creatives also tend to work the hours that work for them. Have you ever noticed that creative individuals will either tell you they work best either early in the morning or very late at night? Well, that’s how it is with us. That’s why most of us are pegged as ‘vampires’. For me, my time to work is when the sun goes down. During the day I sit and absorb the things around me. I people watch, I find beauty and I seek out my new experiences. When the sun falls below the horizon, I take all those things and wind them into a story that will one day be between the cover of a book. It’s not that I’m out sucking blood from innocent humans. I just find that this is the time for me. This is when I feel the most inspired. It’s nothing for me to begin writing at 10pm and keep going until 4-5am. If I’ve hit the zone, I will pull and all-nighter.

I Heart You:

Lastly, creatives are such loving people. Believe it or not we are some of the most heart driven people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. We are thankful for everything in our lives, we tend to make friends quickly and we are giving in a way that shocks even ourselves at times. If you have a creative in your life, hug them and tell them they aren’t really weird, they are just plain awesome.

Thanks for sticking around and reading this post. I hope you’ve learned a thing or two about creative types, including myself. Sure, we will always be the black sheep of society but instead of finding negativity in that fact, we celebrate it.

Peace, Love and Pages!

C.D. Taylor/Taylor Dawn