We get no respect.
Yesterday I was looking about the net–because that’s what I do–and I came across an article on Salon.com. What it basically boils down to is this: if you are a creative type person–someone who designs, or dances, or writes music or poetry or stories–as far as 99% of the world is concerned, you’re a leach. You get no help. You loose you ability to earn, and you’re not even deserving of someone peeing on you if you’re on fire.
In short, you’re wasting the world’s time.
I came across the article some hours after responding to a Facebook post. A woman in one of my writing groups, who has decided to go into writing full-time, asked if it was really normal for her friends, once they knew she was taking this great leap of faith, to pretty much abandon her and shun her like she were Charlie the Unicorn.
I told her–as did a few others–that their reaction seems normal, and whenever you decided to “Follow your dream,” and join the cast of The Starving Artists, you suddenly feel alone. Friends, acquaintances, even family–they all walk away. They leave you behind and drop you like a bad habit.
It’s their way of saying, “I don’t get it. I don’t understand what you’re doing.”
There was a time in the U.S. when culture was big. You could actually make it as a writer or musician or poet–assuming you didn’t over extend yourself and sink into a bottomless morass of sex, drink, and drugs. You could actually get props for being published; you could get recognition for having something show up in Collier’s Magazine, where your intelligence and natural wit made you a star.
These days, you tell your friends you’re going to become a writer–or worst yet, a blogger–and they look at you and give you that all-knowing glare, then say something like, “But that’s not really work; whacha gonna do for a job?”
It seems as if there’s no legitimacy in having an imagination. It’s all about makin’ those Benjamins in today’s world–and, conversely, keeping your company’s stock in good shape; something that was actually written up as an employee value at my last job. And woe be to you if you’re one of those dreamer types who wants to entertain people with your ideas and stories, because you, Madam or Sir, are nothing but a drag on this country–nay, be it the world.
I’m callin’ bullshit on it all.
Though people might seem content with accepting the lowest common denominator when it comes to entertainment–and if that statement isn’t true, explain how three movies based on a toy line from the 1980′s have generated just over a billion dollars in sales in this country–you still need those dreams to feed upon. They want to feel like there is something in their lives that makes them think a little, or vicariously live through another person, or experience sensations they haven’t in real life. People want these things–
They just don’t want to give us any help in getting them.
I feel the biggest problem to being a creative person–like, in my case, and the case of some of my friends, being a writer–is that ordinary people, the non-dreamers . . . they don’t get it. They don’t understand. They want to consume your dreams, to make them theirs. It’s like you’re a chef, and your readers are the people who come to your restaurant. You put your heart and soul into your work, and the customers eat it up. And all the while, they’ll never understand why you do what you do, or how you do it, or why you have passion for your work, why you feel you put so much of yourself out there every time you prepare a dish.
Naw. They just wanna eat the damn thing. And if you’re lucky, they won’t bitch about the taste, or the presentation, or how much it cost. And if they’re lucky, they won’t have the chance to discover if you’re really Gordon Ramsey–
Normal people–the undreamers among us–they will never get it. They will never understand that creativity is a job unto itself. It’s a job; it’s a living; it’s a life. If you make things, if you put your creativity out there for all to see–be it paintings or song or writing or even crocheting–you will always have people who’ll look at you and say, “Why are you wasting your time with that shit? Why aren’t you doing something useful?”
But their opinion doesn’t matter, because you are a dreamer–
Why waste your time with mere morals?
April 25, 2012 at 7:42 am
Beautifully put sir.
April 25, 2012 at 7:43 am
Thank you. I knew you would understand.
April 25, 2012 at 7:52 am
A) Love the title of the post & twist on words there.
B) People really suck.
C) I’m pretty sure that they like to poo all over our dreams because they have none of their own or at least, none they are willing to put in the work and effort and blood and sweat and tears and run-on sentences to pursue and MAKE HAPPEN.
April 25, 2012 at 7:56 am
“C” is something I see all the time. It’s too hard to come up with something that’s truly new and interesting, so they’ll hang out in other people’s dreams and bitch about how much better they could do it. Oh, and that your stuff sucks–but we knew that already.
April 25, 2012 at 9:54 am
I have seen C in many different forms. Let’s not forget the people who throw up their hands in exasperation and cry out, “Why can’t you just be NORMAL?” To which my answer is, “Don’t feel like becoming you.” Not nice, but nor is the implication that there’s something inherently wrong with someone because they’re creative and want to make a living of that creativity.
April 25, 2012 at 10:36 am
But you are so right, Katherine. I’ve been–well, as normal as I’ll ever be. Normal is boring. I’m finished being bored. Lets shake. this. shit. UP!
April 25, 2012 at 11:22 am
Exactly!!! My ambition in life is to be the person who changes people. Normal is so overrated.
And maybe it’s just me, but I get a little thrill out of knowing that my not-normalness is intimidating to people who can’t think outside the box.
April 25, 2012 at 11:32 am
Yeah, I’m getting that vibe as well. The moment I mention at work that I “write”, and that I’ve seen limited publication, they get that look in their eyes like, “Huh? What the hell is up with him?”
My last job, I was in a project meeting (I’m in IT, programmer/analyst), and one of the users was trying to tell me what they wanted for this program–and they were all over the place. I’d try to get them to refine their statements so they made sense, and they’d get frustrated with me because I didn’t understand moron.
Finally, one of the users–a manager–say, “Obviously you’re having difficulty grasping the complexity of this project.” I shot back at him, “I designed a workable solar systems for one of my stories, so complex I get. This isn’t complex: it’s just that you’re not making any sense.” BAM! Meeting ended right then and there, and the manager went to my boss and told him he wanted another programmer because I was “difficult to work with.” I told my boss the guy was an idiot, which was true.
Sucks to be normal, doesn’t it?
April 25, 2012 at 8:01 am
This is very upsetting. I think people who aren’t creative are somewhat envious. Thankfully I come from a pretty creative family and have a bf who’s creative as well as friends who encourage me to stick with it. I’m sorry that people have such a negative view of those of us who are creative.
April 25, 2012 at 8:34 am
I find myself in a position of having people around me who are like, “Huh? Why are you doing that?” And, of course, the, “Oh, but that’s not really work.” Having people who can support you in your creativity–that’s a godsend.
April 25, 2012 at 8:26 am
Thank God, my family always encouraged originality and creativity. We were also taught to put our own worth above others ‘opinions’. So to all of the Naysayers, I thumb my nose at them. The way I look at it (since my kids are grown), if I sink following my dreams, I sink alone. I’ll bet the same people that mock your creativy, would consider themselves your bestfriend if you became the next Stephen King.
April 25, 2012 at 8:36 am
I told the one person I described yesterday that the moment you hit it big, these same people are the ones who show up going, “I knew you would do it! Oh, by the way–” Yeah, I got a place for you to put that, “By the way–”.
April 25, 2012 at 9:55 am
I got mixed revieews some looked at m wiht awe “i wish I had to guts to do this” others “Are you nuts?” nope im not specail ro nuts just willing ot take the chance and see wheremy dreams will take me.
April 25, 2012 at 10:37 am
I’m working on that route today. I want to go off and dream and enjoy. I want to be the teller of tales. I want to do, and not just exist.
And I want to be the one the fanboys look to and go, “You suck! I can do better!” Challenge Accepted, losers!
April 25, 2012 at 10:50 am
I was just discussing this topic with a friend yesterday, what a coincidence. I think some people imagine freelance writers as people who sit in pj’s all day and not working so hard…! When the opposite is true, it’s very hard work. But we love it!
April 25, 2012 at 10:59 am
I will admit to sitting in pajamas all day when I was writing my NaNo Novel, but, hey: I was comfortable doing 4,000 words a day.
And that’s the other thing: I would like these people who say, “You’re not really working,” to see and write 4,000 words in 8 hours, and when they had it to someone else to read, it’s readable! Give it a try; how hard can it be?