Creativity and Eccentricity


There has always been a controversially creative side to me. Creativity is not just painting a picture, or singing a song. Creativity is about creating something. I love creating big strategies from scratch. The blogging industry has legitimised journalistic writing in the online world. This style is something I love dearly. I also enjoy putting together the layouts and visual designs, playing my piano, and generally creating anything which communicates a meaningful message. Most of all, I love online writing. That is why I am doing a masters degree in journalism. It's the pure creativity.

Elizabeth Gilbert described the controversy of this profession. It is normal to ask a creative individual about writer's block, fear of failure, and manic habits. "Notion that creativity and suffering are somehow inherently linked." Liz believes the Western world associates creative creations too closely with their human creators. We identify ourselves with our work like it is not just a relationship with something else, it is from within us. That puts people on a very dangerous pedestal. Whether the work is great or not, the work is defined by the worker. It's like saying, "I am my work." Well no, you are you.

Liz Gilbert blames rational humanism for the individualist genius. This genius is a person, instead of being near a person.

Liz compared herself with her technically minded father. This comparison makes perfect sense to me. Just like Liz Gilbert's father is a chemical engineer, I originate from a family full of engineers and mathematicians. Sadly, numbers and me have never got along. We tried to understand each other, and it didn't work. Yet words click more easily. I love reducing these industries to the bases of numbers and words. Who would say numbers are more important than words? Or who would identify people with their technical jobs, the way I get tied into particular brands or web sites?

I enjoy growing brands. From the visuals, to the copy, to the reputation,

I recently finished managing a brand. I identified with the brand, telling everyone I was with that brand. It felt like a relationship. I interacted with the brand by exploring the products and writing about it. I knew the brand quite intimately, every detail. It was time to take a step back and remember who I am without specific brands or projects.

Right now, the freelancing life feels very psychologically healthy. Different brands and projects come and go. But they are not my whole being. I am me without them. My work with a brand needs to be from an external 'genie' instead of me.

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