Creativity and Its Emotional Rollercoaster: Part I

These past couple weeks the fires of creativity have been roaring! I’ve been bouncing from one project to another and back in a happy roll. But a fire can only burn so long and I’m starting to get periods of the oxygen being cut off. In the morning I’m on the top of the world in the excitement of writing or painting, and by mid-afternoon, the plug is pulled, and the creative passion drains as fast as the fires roared up.

I started to fear the creative high because of the crash and burn low. Do I want to let myself soar only to be shot down to crash and burn on the rocks? (Oh, the metaphors I could come up with, ha-ha.)

Then I was reminded creativity does have emotional sides and that downtimes are part of the creative process. It’s also important how to handle myself between those highly creative times. I realized I haven’t been hitting the rocks in my falls lately. Somehow, I’ve been finding the strength to get a grip before smashing to the bottom. As a matter of fact, I haven’t even been close. I’m catching myself … the creative lifeline is saving me.

A creative lifeline? Does this have to do with the muses?

I’ve been working with the creative muses for a couple years now, calling on them when I’m working on projects, be it writing, painting, or gardening. For the longest time, it seemed they’d show up on a whim, and if I was being creative, it was amazing. However, if I was busy doing something else and didn’t pay attention to them in that moment, they’d move on.

This year, after reading “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert, I’m working more closely with the muses. I’m now seeing this not as just a visitation, but as a partnership, and surprisingly, they seem to be staying closer, understanding and being patient when I have other work to do.

Is this why I’ve been so on-fire creatively? Is this why my downtimes are not the old crash-and-burns? Are the muses, in their working as partners with me, holding the safety line? And, because I’m showing them more attention, they are showing me the same?

All I know is the creative fires make me feel more alive than I ever have. What joy!