Creativity is a glass skeleton…
… protected by powerful muscles...
…and covered with a thin, tough, reflective layer of Mylar.
How strong is your skeleton?
How often have you felt broken, or fractured by criticism? Or self doubt? Or lack of direction or drive?
Here’s the scenario:
You’ve poured your heart and soul into that novel. You labored on that painting, that film, that poem, that play. You tested and tasted a new recipe. You carried dirt and stone to cultivate a new garden. You shared the product with your peers, your friends and family.
Sometimes, even those closest to you cause a crack in the bones. Usually, they are well meaning, but their comments can still hurt.
You push on. You snap a photo and post to social media. You upload your document and share on Kindle. You contract performers and secure a venue. Your play, your musical, your film is going to be seen.
You publish. And you wait.
A critic pans your work.
Your creativity receives a compound fracture- the broken, splintered bones pierce through the skin.
Bloodied, broken, you retreat.
Then, you find the splint. The bones are set, pinned, and covered in a plaster cast while the broken fragments heal.
It takes time, and there’s pain, but when protected and nourished, the splintered ends knit together.
In many ways, the brake is stronger than the surrounding bone.
Now, consider your broken pride, the pain you might feel from a negative review, as healed and strengthened by the critique.
It is trifling to discount a negative review by ignoring its import. A hairline fracture still hurts. But we can brace ourselves and protect our inner skeletons by building up a layer of tough muscle and by practicing balance.
Continue to put yourself out there. Even before you hit publish, start working on the next project. Strive to offset a fracture with a crutch, not as an excuse, but as a support.
Work those muscles and focus on the opposing forces. Like cross training for an athlete, creatives can cross train, too.
Are you an artist? Write about your process. Are you a singer songwriter? Design your next album cover. Are you a chef? Create a theme song.
Whatever your genre, consider building strong protective layers by tackling opposing systems.
Now the glass skeleton is protected.
Some breaks require no casts at all. You stubbed your little toe? Wear some good shoes for a few weeks. You fractured a rib? Avoid contact sports for a while.
Your creativity shares this rule of thumb. Sometimes, it’s best to just resume your endeavors. That little mishap? Does it really hurt? On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst pain that you’ve ever experienced and one being no pain at all, how would you rate your pain from this would?
If the answer is less that five, you’re probably better off ignoring the issue altogether. If it’s six, seven, or even eight, try a home remedy. ‘Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.’
Science has provided us with adhesives that will seal a leak even when applied under water. Seriously! Inventors have perfected glues that will hold a precious painting on a wall for years, but when the time comes, a simple tug on a tiny strip releases the stick-em. No hole to fill. No lasting impression visible to the naked eye.
Your glass skeleton can be put back together, too. Yes, the seams may be evident for years. Maybe always. But the structure will be sound.
We live in a world or amazing technology. A knee or a hip can be replaced. You can replace your glass skeleton, too. Okay, I don’t recommend a full skeleton replacement, but if you need a new tibia or femur, go for it.
All too often, we run to the doctors or the emergency room when we’re not really that hurt. When my daughter was a toddler, she dislocated her elbow. After a rather fitful night, my husband and I decided that we needed to have her seen by our pediatrician. While we were passing our time in the waiting room, Shannon reached for a toy and popped the bones or ligaments back into place.
When we stepped in to the examining room, we apologized to doctor. It was then that he told us two truisms of the medical profession.
1. All bleeding stops sooner or later.
2. Doctor, hurry up and operate. This patient is getting better.
Dr. Murphy did not charge us for that visit. And we all chuckled at this unnecessary doctor’s visit.
But here’s the most important take away.
Broken bones will heal. They may continue to ache. And they may have a little bend or twist. They may have titanium screws that remain in place. But they will heal.
There are no medical doctors to heal breaks in our creativity, but if there were, they may just say… “Give it time. Rest, relaxation followed by strength training and a little aerobic exercise should do the trick.”
Be gentle with yourself and your glass skeleton. Rest, relax, but do what you can to shore up that fragile framework. The stronger the muscles and firmer the outer skin, the less likely you will be to sustain a bad break.
A skeleton made of glass is a beautiful thing. You are beautiful, too.
Feeling a little fragile? Learn some strengthening strategies at doyourart.org.
