Is this piece of work good enough?
Does this work have real meaning and integrity?
Does this matter enough?
Do I matter enough?
Do I have what it takes to create this?
Do I have the right to say this?
What if this isn’t the work I am meant to be doing?
What other path is there for me to follow if not this?

These are all very real and normal thoughts and feelings when you are pursuing a creative path. Sometimes they are just a little bit of background chatter, easily kept at bay. But other times, they are a script that plays on repeat throughout your every waking (and sleeping) hour.

It is exhausting to battle with these deep and unanswered questions on ones own. 

The creative process demands that you travel the width and depth of the spiral. The linear path is too glib and lacking in the substance you desire. Truth and meaning cannot be found on the well lit, well trodden path. Into the unknown you must go. But then, you must come back and share what you have found with the world.

The questioning part of any creative process can (not always, of course) spiral too far downwards and inwards in a desperate yet natural search for truth and meaning. People will tell you, “You must thicken your skin”. You will even tell yourself this. But you and I both know that this is not possible or indeed desirable. Your sensitivity is the antennae through which you see and feel the world and the key to creating work that touches your heart, makes you feel alive and then touches the hearts of others and reminds them that they too, are alive. You need your sensitivity. The world needs your sensitivity. What you need when you are spiralling, is support.

Support can be a lifeline in a time of need - a torch light in the dark. It is the counter balancing upwards and outwards force that allows you to bring the hidden treasure out into the light. And you must remember that you too are the treasure.

Support can take many shapes and forms - personal, professional, practical, spiritual, free or paid for. It can be a flicker of lights leading you on your path or a full blown search party armed with flares and coming in to find you.  

Finding the right support is an individual and continual journey we must all go on. Like any journey, we run the risk of taking a wrong turn. Seeking the support of someone who is not attuned to the reality of the creative path can be very damaging. Sadly, it is not a given that family members, friends, romantic partners, or even creative collaborators can or will support you. Experiences where you haven’t felt supported or understood can leave you feeling even more alone and lost at sea. Sometimes we even repeatedly seek support from people or places we know cannot and will not ever be able to meet us at the depths we so desperately require. We are, at the end of the day, experts in our own unique form of self torture.

Support must be intentionally and creatively sought out and maintained if you are to thrive in your creative journey. There are many things we can and must do to cultivate support from within, from ourselves. But nothing beats the eyes, ears and heart of another human being who gets it and gets you.