Sometimes I get stressed, worried, confused, or preoccupied with things that aren’t my creative work. Or, I waste a lot of time that I could be using for creative work doing….things that aren’t creative work.
That’s because I often forget that doing creative work means prioritizing creative work over other things.
To be clear, I’m not talking about essential functions like food, sleep, or staying healthy. I’m also not talking about maintaining relationships with friends, family, or significant others, which can bring us fulfillment in very important ways.
No, I’m talking about other things. Things that matter less than your creative work.
One trap I often fall into is thinking about things I’d like to have because because the people around me have them. Or, I think too much about the life I’m “supposed” to have, rather than the life I really want to have.
That’s because the life I really want to have is one where I can do the creative work I’d like to do (writing novels), get paid for it, and share my work with people who’ll appreciate it.
Pursuing that creative dream is really, really hard, and doesn’t involve a set path that you can easily copy. It’s also not something you can half-ass, phone in, or only do “a little bit.” It’s something you have to make your top priority, even if it means sacrificing other things—or at least, putting those things lower on your priority scale.
This means that you’re going to spend a lot of your time doing other things—and that your life might look different from other people’s. Maybe you won’t have as much money, or live where you want to live, or have as much free time. Maybe you won’t get to take long vacations, drive a nice car, or have your weekends free. Maybe you’ll have to turn down social invitations and say no to things other people say yes to.
We do these things because our creative work takes priority.
Maybe in the future these other things we say no to now will become a part of our lives, but if not, that’s OK, because we’re prioritizing the lives we’d like to live. A way of living that involves creative work.
It’s really easy to forget this when I’m feeling down, or when I start trying to do too much and overextend myself. In these cases, though, I try to remember my priorities, and the sacrifices involved with putting my writing first. It’s a sacrifice so many creative people have to make, and remembering that, I think, makes the sacrifice that much easier.