An interesting link popped up on my Facebook feed the other day. It was titled ‘10 Things to Keep In Mind When Loving a Highly Creative Person’.
While I don’t consider myself an ‘arty’ type, both journalism and fiction require a large degree of creative thinking, so I tend to classify myself as a ‘creative’. Thus, I decided to click the link, see how many of the advertised ‘things’ applied to me, and score them accordingly.
1. Their Minds Don’t Slow Down
True. I can clearly remember noticing for the first time, during my teenage years, that my mind was never quiet or empty. There’s an episode of The Simpsons where Lisa is in a sensory deprivation tank and she says, “I have to stop thinking, starting… now. Hey, it worked! Oh no, that’s thinking,” The first time I saw that, I thought, Man, that’s me.
Even today, someone will be speaking, their words will trigger a thought or memory, and I will go off on a mental tangent before eventually wending back to the conversation (which I might or might not have absorbed). 1/1
2. They are Cyclical
True – sorta. This point refers to the creative cycle which is “full of highs and lows” and how this can affect a creative person’s moods. As anyone who reads my blog will know, I do go through ups and downs; times of great joy and times where I wonder why I’m bothering to write fiction at all. But I tend to internalise (and compartmentalise) these ebbs and flows – rare is the time when they affect my moods in other areas of my life. 0.5/1
3. They Need Time Alone
True. I’ve always been a person who is comfortable in his own company. I suspect this is true of most only children. When you grow up without brothers and sisters, sitting alone in a room is normal, not lonely. (And you don’t have to share your toys!) ‘Alone time’ is at a premium once you’re a married with kids, so on the rare occasions I get it now, I cherish it.
“Some people are inclined to think that if nothing is being said that there is something wrong, but with creative people that is not the case. They are just working within their own head.” Indeed. 1/1
4. They are Intensely Focused
True. When I’m writing, especially, it is to the exclusion of all else, and I tend to get snarky if I’m interrupted when the words are really gushing out. Of course, long years of writing in an office environment have helped me become desensitised to interruptions, but I’d still much rather work alone and in silence. 1/1
5. Emotions Run Deeper True – in part. “Creative people feel everything on a deeper level. What doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, can be crushing to them.” As I’ve written elsewhere, I used to be a very emotional person, but I trained myself out of that. Nowadays I have a little ‘mental incinerator’, where the things that trigger my emotions can burn off without affecting me too much. (Occasionally something proves too big to fit in the incineration – but not often.) Mind you, understanding emotions is essential for any writer of fiction. If you don’t feel things, how could you possibly know what a character would feel in a given situation? 0.5/1
6. They Speak in Stories Mostly false. “Creative people often express themselves in experiences, instead of just saying what they want to say. It is a way of sharing themselves that personifies who they are. At times, it can be difficult to figure out what a creative person is saying, so don’t be afraid to read between the lines.”
While I tend to relate to someone’s emotional experience by offering a similar experience of my own, that’s where the truth of this claim ends. In most conversation I’m straight up – it’s never difficult to figure out what I’m saying or what I think about an idea, plan or opinion. Very early on in our relationship, I said to my wife, “I hate mind games. I say what I think, and I want you to say what you think.” It’s worked pretty well for us. 0.2/1
7. They Battle with Themselves
False. I really buck the creative stereotype here. I don't “have issues with motivation, enthusiasm, direction, and drive”. I never “have trouble getting out of bed in the morning”. I’m a bit of a packhorse; hard work makes me happy. 0/1
8. Intuition is Important
Formerly true. “Creative people, because of their intense emotional tendencies, tend to rely on intuition over logic.” This was another thing I trained myself out of. I noticed that whenever I “went with my gut” or was impulsive, I lived to rue the day. I do have a logical side, so I try to let it make all the decisions these days. Or I just have my wife, who is the most responsible and analytical person that ever lived, make the decisions. 0.1/1
9. They Struggle with Confidence
Partly true. I have never lacked confidence in my ability as a writer (even when I should have), and mostly it has served me well. No writer’s block, for one thing. As mentioned in point two, however, I sometimes question whether my ability is sufficient to make a career out of writing fiction. 0.5/1
10. Growing Up is Hard to Do
Partly true. I’ve weeded out the ‘immature’ and ‘impetuous’ bits that come with being a child at heart, but I still take great delight in silly and childish things. It’s part and parcel of having an active imagination, I think. 0.5/1
FINAL SCORE: 5.3 out of 10
As I suspected, I’m a creative but I’m not really your classic ‘creative type’. Not any more, anyway.