The creative process equals well-being

“The quality of my life is significantly higher on days that I publish an article. The creative process and well-being go hand-in-hand.”
–James Clear

Creating art for no other reason than to increase the quality of your own life is totally justified. 

Artists and creatives often feel the need to defend the existence of their art. “I made this to help people.” It sounds noble, and in many cases it is. But it can also be a block to the artist. How many people do you need to help for it to be worth it? And if no one sees it, is it still worth it? If you fail, did you waste your time? 

This James Clear quote reminds me that it’s alright to create art for art’s sake. It’s alright to do something because you enjoy it. Not everything needs to have a capitalistic justification. 

We’ve kicked off the 15-day Creative Consistency Challenge. When asked why they decided to take on the challenge, one of the members said, “It’s an act of self-love.” They simply want to enjoy more of their days. 

I’ll finish with another quote from Annie Dillard that I’ve quoted countless times on this blog, in my book, and to my friends. “How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.”

How do you want to spend your life? 

P.S. There’s still time to join the Creative Consistency Challenge. We’re just working through the prep lessons now, and the 15-day challenge begins on Friday. Why don’t you join us?