Having been in the creativity coaching business over the years, I’ve noticed a lot of creative people tend to put their stock in a rational approach to success. They take all these marketing and art business classes and ultimately end up stressed out and unhappy because they have no time or energy left to do their creative work. This artist struggle often leads to artist burnout, where the balance between artistic integrity and commercial demands becomes a significant creative conflict.

Many go to art school, learn techniques from masters, create massive projects and bodies of work, and try to get the culture to like them and pay for them. They find success for a while, and then it drops off and life goes on – the struggle remains. And that struggle persists because they’re coming from the same broken paradigm that doesn’t really work to boost our creativity and bring us happiness and ultimate success.

Our Problem As Artists and Creative People

One of the problems we artists and creatives have inherited from our culture is that we’ve swallowed the idea that it’s too difficult to follow our joy, because we need to spend our time making a living so we can buy food, pay the rent, and become productive and responsible law-abiding citizens — the ‘important’ things in life. We’ve taken the blue pill because it seemed an easier way to go.

Creativity as Creative Desire

But if we are in fact the creators of our reality, as many of the major spiritual traditions teach – if we humans have in fact been given the tools of creation, or co-creation, to do what we desire on this earthly plane, then we may as well spit out the blue pill because it’s not serving us. It’s not helping us fulfill our ultimate desires as creative beings.

It’s interesting to me that this word ‘desire’ has taken on a bad rap in a lot of spiritual communities, especially in the many, highly misunderstood traditions of Buddhism (I cite Buddhism here because it’s what I have the most experience with, not because I think it’s a better paradigm than other forms of spirituality — all roads lead to Rome, as they say), because of the way it’s talked about, and because of the often quoted Four Noble Truths of the Buddha, which say that life is suffering and that suffering is caused by desire. But as the Buddha pointed out, suffering is caused by a type of desire – selfish desire – that is based in ignorance – ignorance, therefore being at the root of the problem, not desire.

Desire is Part of Our Creativity Mechanism

In fact, desire is just part of our creation mechanism, a necessary component to our creativity. It is our power, and only our detriment if used in the wrong way. According to the teachings of Buddhism, when, possibly after many years or lifetimes of trial and error, we finally come to the realization that obtaining possessions doesn’t make us happy – that buying a car, or a house, or finding the perfect partner – are not the cause of our happiness, then we can learn to use the mechanism of desire to find our bliss and live out our purpose.

At that point, we might find a higher desire – a desire for wholeness, or completeness. This kind of desire is the one that comes from a place of wisdom, and it leads to real happiness. It is the desire of the greater Self. It is not a selfish desire, but quite the opposite. It’s a desire to give, and to give up, our smaller, limited selves to the greater good.

Letting Go…

This may be the common lesson for those of us who want to be super creative and make a living as an artist – that we have to learn to let go instead of struggling so hard – that we will find our authentic, reliable creativity when we let go of the rock in the river, when we drop worrying about all the things we thought we had to tend to, problems we thought we had to solve in order to live out our creative purpose.

Maybe the lesson is to just live out our purpose as best we can, and let the world support us the way it wants to, without trying to control how things pan out — trusting the universe, as they say. That, to me, is the best way to approach creativity.

The Struggle Every Artist Faces: Commercial Success vs Creative Integrity

Artists often face a profound dilemma where balancing creativity and commercialism feels like an ongoing battle. On one side, there’s the allure of commercial success—the fame, the sales, the recognition, and the financial security that comes with it. This path often requires artists to tailor their work to market demands, which can lead to a compromise of their unique vision or aesthetic. On the other side lies artistic integrity—the commitment to one’s artistic truth, personal expression, and the creation of art for art’s sake, regardless of its marketability. This pursuit is about staying true to one’s inner voice, even if it means less commercial appeal or financial reward.

The tension between these two poles can lead to a deep creative conflict. Artists might find themselves at crossroads where they must decide whether to adapt their art to fit popular trends or stick to their authentic style, potentially at the cost of broader acceptance or financial gain. This struggle can manifest in various ways:

Artistic Compromise: There’s the fear of ‘selling out’—altering one’s art to appeal to a wider audience or to meet commercial expectations, which might dilute the original message or style.
Identity Crisis: Artists may grapple with their identity, questioning if their work still represents who they are or if it’s morphed into something market-driven.

Creative Stagnation: The pressure to produce commercially viable art can stifle creativity, leading to a lack of innovation or exploration in one’s work, causing artist burnout.

Audience Connection: There’s the challenge of maintaining a connection with an audience that might not fully understand or appreciate the nuances of their work if it’s too far removed from mainstream tastes.

Economic Survival: The harsh reality of needing to earn a living from art can push artists into a corner where they must choose between their passion and their livelihood.

Navigating this landscape requires a delicate balance. Some artists find ways to merge both worlds, creating work that resonates commercially while still holding onto their core artistic values. Others might choose different phases in their career where one aspect might be prioritized over the other, reflecting the ebb and flow of their personal artistic journey. Ultimately, this struggle is about finding a personal equilibrium where an artist can thrive financially without losing the essence of what makes their art meaningful to them.

How External Pressures Affect our Creative Process

When you’re an artist, the need to make a living from your art can really throw a wrench in your creative process. Imagine this: you’re passionate about your art, but suddenly, you’ve got to think about paying the bills, too. It’s like this constant tug-of-war between creating what you love and creating what will sell.

Over time, this can become exhausting. I mean, who hasn’t felt that moment where the joy of painting or writing turns into a chore because you’re just trying to keep the lights on? This struggle can lead to what we all dread – creative fatigue. You start to feel less like an artist and more like a machine churning out products.

It’s tough to keep that spark alive when you’re also worrying about whether you’ll have enough money for next month’s rent.

Finding our Voice Amid Societal Expectations

Navigating the art world feels a bit like trying to find your way through a crowded festival – everyone’s shouting different advice, and you’re just trying to hear your own voice. The market seems to have its own ideas about what art should look like, and there’s this pressure to fit into those molds.

But here’s the thing, every artist has this unique voice, this special way of seeing the world, and sometimes, it doesn’t match what’s popular or what’s selling. It’s like standing at a crossroads, deciding whether to go with the flow or to take that less-traveled path where your art might not be understood right away. It’s a battle between staying true to who you are as an artist and making sure you can still share your work with others.

And let’s not forget the whispers of doubt from society or even from other artists, questioning if your art is ‘right’ or ‘enough’. Finding your voice in all this noise? That’s the real art. It’s about being brave enough to keep creating in a way that feels authentically you, even if it means you stand alone for a while.