Growing Up

We’ve all been there. The work you know you need to do is in front of you, and it’s the heavy lifting kind of work. The kind that will be extremely taxing and strenuous, but it’s still what you know you need to be doing. But, instead of doing what you ought to do, you have a good idea, or ten. So you spend a day chasing that good idea. That day turns into a few weeks, then a few months. At some point you look up to see that you have no idea where you are. That you are off course. Adrift. 

That’s what happens to us creators. When I say us, I mean me. We always want to do something new, sexy, and different. But the important work isn’t always that. Over time, the tasks that were once exciting and shinny, start to feel, not as exciting. It’s still engaging and even enjoyable, but not the same kind of fun. Yet, it’s vital. Part of maturity is realizing that our relationship with our work changes over time. A young creator chases whatever is attractive to them in a moment. The mature creator is steady in doing the important tasks, even if they’ve lost a bit of there surface level spark. As you grow, you learn to work out of this deeper devotion to your craft. A duty, but in a good way.  

I sort of don’t like the metaphor that I’m about to use, but it just really is the most appropriate. My wife and I have been married for 6 years. While we don’t have the crazy, euphoric fleeting feeling of meeting for the first time, we do have a deeper bond than every before. Yes, it’s duty and commitment, but it’s also a lasting joy that doesn’t flee when things get tough. That’s what committing to the work feels like. That’s what growing up feels like. Yeah, you could pursue every new idea that comes in your mind, but you’ll never feel that satisfaction of committing to your craft. Of doing the hard work.