Creativity is a pathway to self-discovery

Mary Gauthier says the goal of writing is to find your voice.¹ We figure out who we are by making things. Austin Klein says, “Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started.”²

Start by owning your story. Figure out what’s in your “creative family tree.” The more branches, the more unique.³

Mark Stryker says that as you practice—that is, develop your artistry—you won’t only find the music, but you may find yourself too.⁴

Creating something may start to reveal a truth that you haven’t fully grasped yet. Mary Gauthier says Songs are seers.

When developing your voice, beware of what you think your voice should be. Read as little as possible of aesthetic criticism. Remember Judgment is a creativity thief.

!We are engaged in the process of discovering who we are —W. H. Auden

Creating is about not trying to do anything or be anything anymore.⁵ Creative flow leads to ego death. James Baldwin says writing involves “finding out what you don’t want to know, what you don’t want to find out.”⁶ Jeff Tweedy says if you feel a little uncomfortable about what you wrote, you know you’re on the right track.⁷

!The Artist is no other than he who unlearns —E.E. Cummings

Creative practice is just another facet of being human. Ferron says, when asked about her song “Testimony”, “What is the formula for writing a song like that? I don’t know, almost die? … If you put all that together and sit down somewhere and weep, you might write ‘Testimony.’ It’s not a craft. Survival was the craft.”⁸

!We usually define ourselves by what we do —Herbie Hancock

One way to come back to being a human is to Practice little sabbaticals.

Not only does the artist discover themselves, but the audience too.

! [[ Art enables us to find ourselves ]]

!An artist’s role is to make you realize the doom and glory of knowing who you are and what you are —James Baldwin