The Need for Creative Self Expression



Human beings are unique on the planet for their ability to create and invent things.  We invent art to give us meaning, we create tools to help us do things, we create stories to help us understand, we create beauty to enhance our experience of the world.   This should help you to see that the role of a human being in the universe is essentially a creative role.  You are here to create what was not here before in some form or fashion.  What that is can vary widely.  It can be a thought, it can be an experience, it can be a thing, it can be a work of art, it can be a unique way of looking at things, and most obviously it can be another human being. 

People have a need to feel useful.  What makes us feel useful is that we serve some need in society or in our personal relationships.  We serve a need when we are contributing a new element to an existing unity.  This may seem fairly abstract but if you think about it you will see that it makes sense.  For example if we are parents to our children then we are serving a need by providing guidance, understanding and support.  These are things that wouldn't exist without us providing them.   If we are working at a job then there is some function that we are doing that would not get done without us.   We are essentially adding a creative element to the existing status quo and this in essence is what it means by serving a purpose.

This subject goes well beyond simply work but here we will focus entirely upon vocation.   When we consider the myriad of jobs that are available in the world we should notice that they are differentiated and compensated by the skill and necessary knowledge involved to do them.  The more skill that is involved and the more specialized knowledge that is involved, the higher compensation and also the higher satisfaction.  Think about these facts and you will see that they are true.  The more unique you are the happier you will be and the more you will be paid.  This should give each of us great incentive to find whatever it is in us that makes us unique and devote our lives to bringing that aspect out into the world.  Whatever that is your creative gift to the world.

Recognizing your creative gift is the first task you need to achieve.  Once you recognize your gift then the next task is to find a way to make that your creative contribution to the world and be compensated for it.   Often we find that whatever it is that makes us unique has been hidden due to years in conformitive environments where we were forced to blend in.  It can take some digging to get back to the essential you that is unique but if you do the work you will find that it is there somewhere.

Devote this week to trying to locate your essential self.  Think about your earliest experiences in childhood and how they told you that you were unique.  Think about the experiences you have had in life in which you felt unlike anybody else.  Think about the things you have been able to do that most people find difficult.  These are all logical and analytical ways to find your essential self.  However, we should not neglect the intuitive, unconscious aspect of our lives either.  Therefore, it would be wise to think about the dreams you have had and the coincidences that have occurred in your life.  How have these experiences helped to shape who you are today and what were they telling you about your essential self?



Information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not be interpreted as financial or legal advice. This does not represent a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Please consult your financial advisor.