Creative/kriːˈeɪtɪv/adjective.
- relating to or involving the use of the imagination or original ideas to create something.
nounINFORMAL
- a person whose job involves creative work.
Creative is a broad term that covers a wide variety of things. Basically, anyone who brings an original idea to live, regardless of medium, qualifies as a creative.
I gathered a bunch of people who qualify under this category and they shared the hardest part of their process with me.
Kay/Writer.
“The term creative doesn’t always sit well with me…I am not sure why. I think the hardest part is getting through those moments where the work swings from being fun to being hard. And it’s a very fickle thing…constantly moving. I can start out writing a piece and it’s really flowing and something takes away my attention and I lose that flow. It’s hard getting back to it.
Two things: it’s either I continue and trudge on till the end, or I go away and close my laptop. But if it’s something that has to do with a deadline, we die there. If it’s not something that has a deadline, I wait for the flow to come back -That could take weeks or months.”
Isokorevieno/Artist.
“For me, it’s improving and using social media at the same time. I’m particular about growth in my work. Almost obsessed with it. I am in the process of learning that I can’t constantly create shareable works for social media. So, sometimes I go off, and I notice a drop in followers. I can’t pretend that it doesn’t get to me. So, there’s the battle of whether to create “content” for social media and grow my following or focus on my personal growth, which I believe is more important for the industry I want to get into. Long term, I guess the two will eventually intertwine.”
RhymeMarvel/Rapper.
“Damn. Honestly, it’s just the constant self-doubt…you know how good your art is but you don’t know if you’ll ever get the recognition and by extension, the royalties you deserve. Music is just saturated. Some people with less talent do well so it’s somehow.
But we keep the faith and keep working sha. I am making music for me first because the creative zone is heaven on earth. We’ll see when I package a project and put it out there if I get my validation.”
Daltimore/Fashion designer.
“Omo, the hardest part is not having funds to create the idea as much as I would like to. Also, not being able to market what I create because I am not a popular name yet. I think another hard part for me is the business of it.
I hate business and marketing.
I just want to create and not worry about profit.”
Pelumi/Photographer.
“I think the hardest part has to be getting my work out there. Reaching a wide audience. So, I am trying all form of social media and hoping for a break.”
Boyin/ Resident scammer.
“The hardest part is actually doing the work. I’ll procrastinate 7 million times before I actually start doing what I need to do. When I have work to do is when Twitter becomes interesting. Then this book I haven’t read in 17 years becomes a must-read. Doing that work is my own issue.”
Uzor/Conceptual Photographer.
I swear the creative journey is like a prison. I work on images for weeks in my head with so many doubts. I feel like a prisoner inside my own body.
For me and my work, the hardest part will be worries of execution. That a piece may not fit the pre-conceived vision in my head. In a nutshell, what I shoot on ground may not match what I imagined.”
Kunmi/Blogger.
“I don’t know if I feel like I’m a ‘creative’. Lately, with writing, it has been more of finding a balance with sharing but also keeping certain things to myself. And not being a fraud.
With blogging it feels like you are sharing the happenings in your life with people that didn’t ask you. Sometimes, I wonder if I might overshare.
Then the fraud part is me actually doing the things I write and read about. Not just posting it.”
Daniel/ Content god.
“Finding inspiration is the hardest part. When I get an idea, I’m able to run with it pretty quickly. But getting that idea can be a real hassle. Especially when I’m feeling burnt out.”
Fu’ad/30+ gang.
“Work-life balance is a lie. Creativity is largely an interpretation of how we process, understand, and share our world with people.
What that means is that, when the core of your existence in the labour force revolves around your creativity, you’re always working because you’re always interacting with the world and saying, oh shit, that’d look nice in a sentence. Oh shit, I should take a photo. Oh wow, I wonder what it’d look like if I made the thing you just said into an interactive website.
A stock trader goes home on Friday and comes back on Monday. A creative goes home to look for their muse.”
