The other day someone referred to me as “creative”, and that got me thinking. Most of the time, I’m grateful for my imagination. It’s gotten me through many a meeting without having to spike my ubiquitous water bottle with something clear, strong and illegal in Utah. But it’s also responsible for such weird quirks as my never falling asleep in the passenger seat of a moving car without first envisioning in great detail what would happen instantly to my body upon our vehicle’s impact with another car — as if being awake to witness an accident would help all that much. So, yes, sometimes I’d like to drag my imagination outside and drop it off a cliff. I can just picture it: the mischievous little sprite crying and begging for mercy as I dangle it further over the abyss, all the while — see? There it goes again.
Despite my all-too-active imagination, however, I don’t consider myself particularly creative. Creative types wear flashy colors and dye their hair and spout weird poetry even they don’t understand. They can paint elaborate forest scenes with the brush held between their toes and weave blankets incorporating native styles from around the world. They are geniuses, whereas I feel merely adequate.
“Oh, but you write,” people tell me when I disclose such thoughts. “You must be creative to make up all that stuff.”
But I’m not so sure. It feels as if my task as a writer is not to create characters, plot, and dialogue, but to leave myself open to them. The characters (or Dolores, my cranky muse) then tell me what to type.
The secret is out: I don’t write. I take dictation. And how creative is that?
Thank you for the comment on my blog.
I’m a designer (and aspiring writer) and consider myself creative. Writing is definitely creative. But there’s a different feeling to the temporal arts as opposed to the visual arts, where most of the process is outwardly creative. Writing is more internal, which might partly explain what Erica said.
ah, but you’re taking dictation from yourself, not from someone else. and that? is creative.
Capturing words and thoughts onto paper is an art form – and a very difficult one at that. Many want to write but very few actually do. You are creative – and who gives an F about funky clothes and wild hair color. Just be yourself.
Mary, I think you’ve captured a lot of what I’m trying to say: writing doesn’t feel as creative because it’s internal. It’s not as flashy.
I know what you mean about the dictation. Yes, I hear voices. Not audible ones. They’re in my head. That’s why the general public would consider most writers stark raving mad if they knew just HOW we get the words on the page.
I love that last part–that you take dictation! Sometimes I wish I was that kind of writer. Basically I can just turn it off. It feels really weird, because I can be writing all day and then go to pick up my kids from school and distance myself from the story completely. When I get back to the writing, it feels like I’ve been gone forever.
Actually, if you were asleep during an accident you would fare BETTER than if you were awake. When someone anticipates an accident, their body tenses up and is more prone to jars and injuries, instead of being loose and pliable like when they’re asleep. I know because I used to think about the same thing and had to look it up! 🙂
Hmm … very interesting perspective! I like it!
Heehee! I remember a writer friend calling me soooooooooo excited because she had the start of her next book. When she came over and showed it to me? It was two lines of dialogue. Under 20 words. I have entire 20 minute, 5 pager conversations go through my head regularly, but there is no way they are a book. Her two lines, under 20 words? Are now her latest manuscript in process of revisions. That is a unique talent to be able to pull the “dictation” into something other people can hold. Creative or not? Up for debate, but still an amazing and unique talent.
Writing is definitely a unique talent. I feel though that personality is what we end up seeing as “creative” Some writers are intrusive and look rather normal. Normal as in they could be a stockbroker on wall street, a stay at home mom ,or even the local bagger at the market.
But then there are those writers whose personalities are vibrant and they choose to express through their hair, clothes, style, vibe, gait etc. Its like they couldn’t hide it if they chose.
For me, when people see me they think I’m a creative person by all the things above. But when I speak they know that I’m a thinker and a writer and a person with something to say. For me, expression starts in the mind and heart and then it comes to the page, to our bodies -hair etc and our clothes and in our language to others.
For those who are of the more silent type they express it maybe in the type of paint they choose, the furniture they decorate an entire home, how they tackboard the space at their day job or maybe in the shoes they buy. To me, creative people tell on themselves in some way it just depends on who you are.
Thanks Caryn for the topic and discussion and beleive me those characters are more than just telling you who they are, your talking back and confirming and shaping them as they speak. keep listening!