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How to Be Creative

Hugh MacLeod, Gapingvoid, Aug 02, 2004
Commentary by Stephen Downes

Nice article that should probably have been titled "How to be good at anything." The author's main point is that "everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb," and that the difference between a worthwhile life and the other lies in the decision to climb it (my 'Everest' is stated at the bottom of my home page). Once you make the decision to accept your own particular challenge, it becomes a matter of aligning your priorities and being clear about your motivations. "If somebody wants to rip my idea off, go ahead. If somebody wants to overtake me in the business card doodle wars, go ahead. You've got many long years in front of you. And unlike me, you won't be doing it for the joy of it. You'll be doing it for some self-loathing, ill-informed, lame-ass mercenary reason. So the years will be even longer and far, far more painful. Lucky you."

I really agree with the advice in this article. Believe in yourself. Ignore the jerks. Stand fast to your ideals. Learn. Be the best at what you love to do. Find Everest, and whatever you do, at least try to climb it. "The pain of making the necessary sacrifices always hurts more than you think it's going to. I know. It sucks. That being said, doing something seriously creative is one of the most amazing experiences one can have, in this or any other lifetime. If you can pull it off, it's worth it. Even if you don't end up pulling it off, you'll learn many incredible, magical, valuable things. It's NOT doing it when you know you full well you HAD the opportunity- that hurts FAR more than any failure."

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