Cherish or Perish?

When it comes to content creation, there are many views to take. Often, when I start something new; be it writing, songs, artwork, whatever, I have a fire burning inside me.

I feel like I could change the world.

The Passion we feel, when starting a new hobby, is something very special. Sure, it may be something which has existed forever, but for you, it has only just been discovered, and that is the uniqueness of the experience. It is YOUR experience, one you must cherish.

Professional or Enthusiast?

You only have to look at enthusiasts. I used to wonder what the difference was between professionals and enthusiasts. They both had the same passion for their craft, and yet they were categorised differently. When I found out that professionals simply get paid for doing what they love, I thought it a bit unfair for the enthusiasts, who are often thought less of, simply because they’re not producing money.

To me, they are the people who are fuelling that field. The professionals can be so caught up in making money, that they have less time and fuel available to explore new uses of their equipment, or new techniques to create something wonderful and artistic.

I’m not saying professionals don’t earn the money they make, but never underestimate the power of an enthusiast.

If you have the passion, the excitement, the fire in your belly, the drive to produce something, you’re going to do it. And not only will you do it, but you’ll most likely create something which is appealing to the masses, because it is being driven by pure love and devotion.

I often think that, if the world, if all those who occupied its lands, didn’t have the burden or pressure of creating for money, then who knows how much further along we might be, with regards to human knowledge and creative outlet.

Love Trumps Necessity

When I think of the differences between someone creating something out of love, and someone creating something out of necessity, I often draw comparisons between an artisan glassblower, and a glass factory.

The well-trained, life-long creator, works in a small room, honing their skills year after year. Most likely they will have fewer, but more reliable customers; they appreciate the master of his craft, and they will pay that little bit extra, because they know he will put every ounce of love and passion into his work, in order to give you the best product possible.

Whereas, if you think about mass-produced anything, you know the quality control is much less, the shabby product will most likely break in less time, the overall satisfaction you get from the product won’t come anywhere close to that which you could feel, if you purchased the same product from the artisan.

If you’ve ever been on holiday, and ventured into a small village, you’ll most likely have come across local shops. Inside, there will be souvenirs which are specific to that region of the country, which sells all kinds of things. Each of them will have been crafted, by hand, and will be unique. Your purchase will have bought you something which you can take home, and will give you a memory you’ll never forget.

This is the power of individuals.

They offer you an experience, a unique feeling, something to which you can truly relate. Factory-made objects on the other hand, offer you the product and nothing more.

Less is More

We are all creators in our own right. Every day, every week, we are all exploring our own minds, searching for that creative spark. We long for something unique to share with others, so that maybe they will reciprocate and connect with us on a human level.

The importance of taking the time to formulate something special, cannot be overlooked. While the attraction to create more and more in a short space of time can be eerily seductive, we must not give in, because we owe both ourselves and others more than that.

We have within us, the power to make something better.

There is this whole blogging paradigm, which exists today, that we must produce, produce, produce. If we are not producing, we are not moving forward, nor are we making anything worthwhile for ourselves. If you’re not creating something, you’re falling behind; this is the fallacy which we are all led to believe.

You only have to look at those who are still talked about and whose stories are still read today. Did they pump out content day after day? Did they publish a book every week or month? No, they did not.

The Human Experience

Some modern day writers, have often said that they need the consistency in order to be creative, to stay on course. The crime thriller novelists of this generation, are constantly churning out books, year after year. Whether they are better, worse, or the same, is up to the reader to decide; but I wonder if they would be even better if they took two years instead of one to write them.

I’ve tried the whole writing consistently over a period of time, and I’ve also tried writing periodically, to see whether there is any sort of marked difference in both approached. And the answer, is no.

I have not seen any significant changes in the success or failure of certain pieces of writing, in my time. The thing is, you cannot predict what people will find interesting, what they will choose to read, or what they will find so captivating, that it truly resonates within their very soul.

Pieces of writing are very personal, both to the writer and the reader. A human experience, above all else, will resonate with more people than anything else. This is because they can associate good and bad human experiences with their own lives, because we all live through happy and tough times.

Share & Care

Being honest, and revealing something truly personal, is one way to build a long-term bond with a reader. They read your words because they feel a vulnerability associated with them; they can feel your pain and your heartache, but they are also present for your successes and triumphs.

It is this wonderful journey you share with someone else, through your writing, which can make the whole experience that much better. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, your heart, your soul to the world; it will speak back, with kind, empathetic words.

The answer to your success, lies within yourself.

Those moments you’ve felt throughout your life, those tiny little feelings and thoughts you’ve had while in certain locations or with other people; others have felt them too. You’re a part of the collective world, in which we all feel the same emotions.

There is nothing you can write, where you are the only person in the world to have felt it; it simply won’t happen. There will always be others out there, who will be drawn to your story, and in being so, will stay for future stories.

So, my friend, you can either search for the quick and easy path, one which bypasses all the struggles, all the strife; or you can pick your own road, walk down it at your own pace, create your own experiences to share, and ultimately leave behind pieces of yourself, of which you can be ever so proud.

It’s up to you.

You’re a Creator, Not a Factory was originally published in The Ascent on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.