My thoughts are circling around creativity this morning and what it means to wake up every day with your heart filled with wonder, joy, sorrow, awe – and an intense desire to share some part of this creative self with the world.

Creative selfs* are complicated. They WANT – no – They NEED public expression. What is Art if it is never shared with another person – if it’s kept in a drawer, or a closet – or worse – inside your heart – never realized? It is still ART, for certain, but it is a pale experience. 

Still, at the same time … the creative self is a fragile newborn, unaware of the dangers that lurk in the shadows – in the form of criticism, misunderstanding, anger – censorship. Too much criticism at the wrong moment kills creativity. Proper criticism, at the right moment, done with respect to the art and artist creates an environment where the creative soul thrives. But it’s tricky. You never know which comment will ignite a fire that blazes bright with creativity and which comment douses the whole shebang.

Eighteen years ago my first daughter entered the world on a -38 (real temperature) day. She, like her younger sister, has become a smart, funny, creative, empathetic, sensitive soul. She’s an artist. Her work will be on display this month in the Milwaukee Art Museum in the Scholastic Student Art Display. Her creative soul is open to the world – which is a wonder and a joy – and a danger, indeed. As her mother – I have always encouraged her to dare – to create – to share her vision. Still, as her mother, I want to protect those creative embers in her heart – so that her creative soul will burn so brightly that the naysayers will be silenced.

I have yet to figure out how to put it all on the line and yet protect it. I don’t think it’s possible. I guess the creative person must build up his/her own protections against the world.

On Tuesday, my second picture book BIG RIG rolls out. That’s an amazing thing too. My words transformed by Ned Young’s art – in a convenient book form for parents and kids to share. Wow. Leaves me a bit speechless, and I feel quite unworthy of my life. And yet I KNOW there are folks who just won’t SEE it for what it is (to me) – a joyful, playful book meant to invite young children along for a story. For me, there is nothing greater than giving a child a book that makes him/her excited about reading. BIG RIG is a part of my creative soul. And it is out there for the World to see. That’s a big, scary thing.

Last night, my hometown celebrated The Arts. Creative folks from all walks of life (actors, singers, photographers, chefs, dancers – and writers) we nominated by our peers and then a very nice fundraising celebration took place. I couldn’t be there – as I’m out of town with BIG RIG – but my husband and my younger daughter attended. There were performances and voting – and a general feeling that WE NEED our creative sides – we NEED ART. My book, BOOM BOOM BOOM received recognition in the Creative Writing category. My husband accepted this award for the book (painted by a high school art student). After the evening, Jon told me that as he looked out into the audience – he suddenly found himself a bit overwhelmed by the emotion of the evening. All the talent – in every stage – young people, adults – daring to SHARE their vision of the world. He got a bit choked up. Art can do that to you. Art brings out our spiritual/ emotional sides. Art touches our souls. How wonderful that the United Arts Alliance paused on an evening in January to celebrate creativity in our city. I hope that all involved left with their spirits renewed by the celebration.

Last weekend,  I spent three days with some incredible writers. It was a working weekend – we brought our STUFF, read it aloud – and spent hours talking about each piece, writing craft, and what it means to live your life as a writer. And you know what? – every single one of us – from the person with ten books out in the world – to the people who are anxiously awaiting publication – agreed that living the Writer’s Life can be brutal. It can be awful. And it can be amazing. That’s the complicated nature of sharing your creative soul with others. When you connect with another person through your art – it’s transformative. But, when you face unfair criticism, walls, or apathy — well, I will leave you with the words one of the writers reminded us of:

The Man in the Arena

by Theodore Roosevelt

 It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;

but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Go out – nurture your creative soul and then dare greatly – for what else is there in this world?

 *Yes, I know it could be/should be “selves” … not feeling that word. I want it to be selfs today. 😉