Welcome to the very first entry in a series of thoughts I want to share about a concept that is very dear to my heart: creative resilience.

We now live in a world where everyone can be a creative -- with a proliferation of maker spaces, lower bars to entry in terms of accessing tools and ways to share work (YouTube, Etsy, etc.). I even spoke about this at a Pecha Kucha presentation called Art is for Amateurs.

In short, I think more people being creative is a good thing. Studies have shown that people who engage in creative pursuits have better job performance. However, there has also been an uptick in people who are trying to transform a fun or calming pastime into a part-time or full-time career. This means there is increased competition for limited support resources (grants, residencies, venues, and sales). It also means that more people not only need the skills and talent to make great art, but the psychological skills to navigate any number of obstacles along the way. That’s what I mean by “creative resilience.”

I have worked for more than a decade with filmmakers and other creatives in the trenches of the creative process - figuring out how to tell a story, how to find collaborators and supporters, and understanding the relationship of themselves and their work to an audience or audiences. As the term “creative” has evolved from being an adjective to a noun, I have shared the joys of creatives making things, telling stories, and desiring their art to make the world a slightly better place. I have also witnessed the obstacles they have faced along the way:

• How to use and make the most of the tools or technology of their art form

• Balancing what they love making with what makes a living 

• Overcoming self-doubt and inconsistent motivation that can be exacerbated by commonly-held beliefs about what defines success.

• The realities that making and sharing art is really hard work. While you may get better at your art, the process never really becomes easier.

My goal with this blog series is not to tell you how to be creative or what makes “real” art. I actually think everyone has to define that for themselves. Instead, my focus will be on looking at common challenges and opportunities that creatives (including myself) face, and some thoughts on how to reframe them so that you can keep being creative in spite of all the challenges. 

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