Tribute to all the elusive creative geniuses

Elizabeth Gilbert

The ultimate intrinsic reward of creative individuals

Creativity is first and foremost a form of expression: it creates a special link between the internal and external worlds. It allows one to get a grasp of our powerful emotions, by molding them into a physical form. In fact, the most important thing for us is to be able to release our emotions. We need to be able to touch them or look at them in concrete form and to do that we have to find a way to make them come alive. This is how our desires and anxieties take shape. Keeping things bottled up creates a tension that can only be resolved once you have expressed how you feel. This means we have to be strong enough not to let ourselves get swept away by chaotic impulses; if we turn our creative urges on everyday life — making a picnic, singing to the baby, choosing what to wear — we can express ourself while staying rooted in reality. Creativity is principally cathartic. It relieves a deep need, an almost primal, archaic impulse. For us, being creative is about having the power to give form to something we feel, to those deep personal issues that are often raw and disorganized. For these reasons, we are usually attracted to art that demands physicality, that allows us to express what’s inside, and that unites spontaneity, strength, freedom, power, and movement.