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Eklonicki

I'm a freeance writer who lives in Raleigh. I write magazine and newspaper articles and have written three books. I'm interested in family and relationships, parenting, senior care, psychology and therapy, women's issues, writing, and American history, particularly the WWII era. Please visit my othe...

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The creative path

Elaine Luddy Klonicki

Is it my imagination, or are we all feeling a little moody this month? With the reminders about September 11th, the political fatigue, the suffering related to Hanna and Ike, and now the banks failing, it’s harder than usual to be optimistic. Especially for creative types, who are often highly sensitive and take in more than their share of other people’s misery. (See The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron.)

Yesterday my writers’ group, Triangle Area Freelancers, was having a discussion about the sites which proclaim how easy it is to make money online, which many of us have found not to be true. Then a musician friend wrote to say that she is stuck in a “Why bother?” mood about recording more music, because she’s not making money with the stuff she’s done so far.

What’s so sad about this is that most of the writers and musicians I know are incredibly, phenomenally talented. But the creative path requires perseverence beyond measure, often with little return along the way, and sometimes we just get tired. The musician I mentioned above was a semi-finalist in an international music contest. She beat out thousands of musicians to make it into the top ten. (Even more amazing, she did it last year too.) But she’s in a funk, because not winning also means not receiving the monetary prize.

I tried to reassure her by reminding her that in the end, all the hard work and dedication does pay off. She has created beautiful music, some of it with her son, and no one can take that away from her. She’s been featured on radio shows, and has written songs for charities she believes in, so she's reaching more people than she knows.

When I get into a creative funk, I often turn to a longtime favorite, Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. The book became a huge hit after Oprah embraced it in the late 90s. It’s called a daybook, with a short reading for each day, but I tend to read small sections at a time. Having just read the entries for the first half of September (the passages for August and September are especially inspiring), I feel better already. 

It’s always amazing to me the ability we have to inspire others, even when we don’t feel especially upbeat ourselves. Ban Breathnach makes frequent references in the book to her own down days, and to the people and authors who inspire her. Yet, over the years, she has inspired millions to become “their authentic selves,” to find their passions, and to dream big.

Sometimes it may feel as though we’re just putting on a good face for our friends when we encourage them despite our own self-doubts. But we have a different perspective; we can see the talent and progress they have made, and recognize their current mood for what it is, a temporary setback. Unfortunately, when we’re having those days ourselves, we lose sight of the big picture, and the mood doesn’t feel temporary. That’s why it’s so important to be connected to others, and to choose as friends those who believe in us most.

In the grand scheme of things, very few of us can do much about the world’s troubles. We have to put them into the category of “This too, shall pass.” But we can having a lasting impact if we check in with a friend and encourage her to keep going, especially one we haven’t heard from in a while. That’s sometimes a sign that she’s feeling defeated and doesn’t want to bring anyone else down. Remind her that the world has need of her special talents. That simple message might just bring her abundant joy.