Central to feeling a sense of contentment in life is creating something of value.
There is a small tremor vibrating in our beings causing us to doubt our ability to believe we are capable of creating something of value. We humans have a certain degree of insecurity built into our makeup. Its evolution is traced back hundreds of thousands of years ago when our fear of survival in a hostile land, full of beasts hunting us down for food, was common. That insecurity has stayed with us as an unnecessary hangover prohibiting us from participating more actively and openly.
Hence, for many of us, the biggest risk of all is to step out and start creating something, anything, that challenges our inherently insecure selves. Creativity attacks insecurity, because it demands that we take what’s inside of us and manifest it in some concrete way so others can see it, and respond to it openly and freely.
Overcoming our insecurity empowers us to share with others what we have created. Once people embrace our creation, we let go of it and let others claim it. A concrete act of creativity partly locks up our insecurity in our creation, and allows it to leave us. As we share it and let it go, others can embrace the creation without embracing the insecurity within it.
In the course of sharing and letting go, there should be an exchange of value for value. The easiest, and maybe most meaningful, exchange is in the form of money. That finalizes the cycle. Value for value exchange reinforces our personal confidence and security, which are needed to continue the creation process.
I learned this lesson over time. I certainly didn’t come equipped to employ it immediately. Regarding the creation of something of value, this came as a surprise. For thirteen years, I received a paycheck every two weeks no matter how little or much I accomplished. Eventually, I decided to leave my profession and start a business of my own. I was surprised how my sense of confidence took a sudden leap forward.
I formed a company and created all the products. Little by little, people bought my creations. I valued this payment more than any other previous checks, because it was something I created, and in which others saw value, and were willing to exchange value for value. Those were transformative years for me personally. It’s thirty years later and the afterglow of that rush of contentment remains with me to this day.
Because of that, I continue the creation process. I have encouraged my children, grandchildren, and friends to take that journey.
Creativity – or the act of creating something – overcomes insecurity.