Being Creative Isn't Easy

Being creative isn't the easiest thing in the world. The unfortunate side of being creative is following through on your ideas and seeing them come to fruition. I can come up with a million ideas about a million different situations, whether it's a creative solution to a problem, fixing something or being artistic. It is this last concept that I primarily deal with.

I love to write. I have a passion for combining words and syntax in a manner that not only conveys my idea, but generates a response. Creating a connection through the written word is not as easy as it seems. It seems that being a good writer isn't a prerequisite for getting published. I've read a number of books, both fiction and nonfiction, that has a good storyline, but the construction of sentences and word choices make for a bumpy and terrible ride. It's not always the author, sometimes it is the publisher. Either way, I cannot stand short, choppy sentences. They don't flow. They are useful at times. They seem uncreative. They force the reader. Sometimes, however, using style to create a desired response is a sign of a good writer. Most novelists seem to only know the short, choppy variety.

I'm not a huge fan of blockbuster novels. Pretty much anything from Dan Brown, James Patterson and the like will have a good story but terrible writing. I end up thinking, "That was a good story" and that's it. I want to write literature. I want stories that create discussion and buzz, though not necessarily controversy. I want a storyline that virtually any reader can see their self in. I want to create something that lasts – a legacy.

And that takes a pasture of creativity. With things in plain view and yet hidden trails that take a lot of exploring to find. Streams that take you to a different setting and yet remains connected. I don't want the freeway story, I want a pasture.

Being creative isn't easy. It takes practice and patience to overcome the frustration of short-lived ideas. Being creative isn't easy, but it's worth the struggle. We must write, paint, strum, crochet, think, work, do, try, push, contemplate, rewrite, redo, rethink, retry ... until we make that connection. Then it's truly worth it.

– Andrew