Is Your Medium Prohibitive of Individual Creativity?

Yikes. That’s a wordy title. Here’s what I mean: Are you able to start and finish projects on your own? Or do you have to rely on other people?

When I was in high school, I loved playing alternative rock music. I created bands with my friends to perform at our school’s Battle of the Bands, and to write our own music. I had a blast in these bands–some of my favorite memories. But the bands broke up. The longest I ever had a band was nine months. This led to dry spells. Periods of time in which I had no one to play with.

My medium was prohibitive of individual creativity.

Then, when I got into college, I downloaded Logic Pro 9. This software changed my creative life forever. Instead of making rock music, I made electronic pop music. I could record and arrange all the instruments by myself, and the genre was conducive to doing so. I was able to write and release songs without depending on anyone else. 

This set me free creatively.

I was finally free of previous roadblocks and excuses. When I wasn’t making music, there was no one to blame but myself. I’ve carried this freedom into my new creative medium: blogging. Not only am I solely responsible for writing and publishing my work, but I can do it anywhere. I’m writing this on a plane right now. It’s safe to say that I wouldn’t be able to play with my band on a plane. 

If your creative medium is reliant on other people, that’s ok too. You simply need to be prepared for any hiccups by having a robust network. If you’re a portrait photographer, you need a list of models on standby. If you’re in a band, you need connections to backup musicians. If you’re an entrepreneur, you need connections to a wide range of professionals. 

It might be worth asking yourself how you could become less reliant on others. The key for me has been finding a medium in which I’m solely responsible for my own creativity. 

Good luck out there!