I thrive when doing creative work. It's the essence of everything that I do. I cannot do without it.
So much so that I often ask myself: how can anyone do without it? 🤔
I see many just getting by with the same repetitive days. How? Answer:
Some people prefer not to own the uncertainty of choosing, even if it means living by others’ structures.
I want to understand this better 👇
Creativity is harsh
Creative jobs require constant problem-solving, taste decisions, and self-direction. These come with responsibility and uncertainty.
Responsibility + Uncertainty = Pressure
It's on you (responsibility) but you have no guarantee of a solution (uncertainty) 😬
You are assigned a task. The task requires novelty and exploration. You are expected to deliver.
But exploration can lead nowhere. But you must deliver!
Creative profession require grit, faith that pushing more and more will eventually lead to a solution 🫡
This is a huge burden. It comes with many heavy consequences:
- Failure: you won't find a solution, maybe for a long time, maybe ever
- Overwhelm: many well-intentioned attempts will fail, and you must try again
- Risk: it's your responsibility, people count on you, but the solution is not obvious
Comfort in predictability
Anxiety often comes from too many paths and possibilities.
Giving up creative work can free people from choice, with a possible relief from anxiety 👀
These applies on all levels. You outsource responsibility, which may lead to more peace and enjoyment of simple pleasures and relationships.
It also leads to a greater sense of community: you spend more time with people, and trust that the community keeps everyone stable and functioning.
Externally structured life focused on duty and community 🤝
But...
Illusion of stability
"Comfort in predictability" hinges on subjective feeling of peace, not on objective control.
The future is unpredictable by definition.
By outsourcing decisions you are just living under the illusion of stability 🫵
The key word is "feel". As long as you "feel" the sense of stability, you are at peace, even if underneath its an illusion.
That's also where the tension originates:
The comfort comes from not questioning the arrangement too deeply.
Once questioned, the “peace” might collapse.
If the narrative is “the system knows what’s best for me,” questioning it would force them to take responsibility.So they choose (consciously or unconsciously) to avoid deep inquiry.
But what if someone is more interested in truth?
Write down what bothers you. Write. Write. Write.
I cannot empathize this enough. Writing is a superpower. It's formalized thinking.
And if you make your thinking real, solutions emerge.
See you next 👋