In adults, creativity can get shoved aside by its pushy, loudmouthed sibling, practicality. The two carry on a battle inside our heads. On one side of the head, a girl in a flowered dress paints the air with a palette that's constantly changing color. On the other side is her older brother, who carries a to-do list and wears work boots and overalls.
Creativity says, "Use your hands and your mind to create beautiful things."
Practicality says, "Use your hands and your mind to do things that have tangible value."
And the rest of the brain tries to find a compromise between the two.
I completely got this. The truth is we would not be able to survive if one of these "siblings" ceased to exist. Thanks for the reminder of how much we need both of them.
ReplyDeleteJane, this is simply GREAT, dead-on writing. That first paragraph is a nearly perfect beautiful thing to behold. And I add the word "nearly" to perfect only out of abundant caution for your safety. Faulker famously said that when he wrote the perfect sentence he would have nothing else to do but break his pencil and die. I'd prefer you continue to live, and go on writing great sentences and paragraphs like the one above.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteYou are right. We need both of the siblings. It's the balance that's hard.
John,
I feel like a kid who just got an "A+" on her test.
Thanks to you both!