I received a letter from a desperate fan seeking advice about how he can make peace with his creative side as it drives him nuts whilst he pursues the daily rigours of a mundane, dull and dreary job. While he was studying for his ‘specialised’ degree, he felt the calling to become a poet and has since eight years been writing profusely. Unfortunately, his work remains unpublished and he doesn’t know what to do.
Well, from my own experience, I found out (very early on!) that it’s one thing to be talented and hopeful. It’s another thing to face one’s fears of rejection, take that talent and hone it towards success. Creativity needs to be shared with others. That’s where the young poet went wrong – he did not seek like-minded people. He chose to hide his poems and stay in his comfort zone. The recent poet festival would have been a great place to hang out. He could have been inspired by Abu Dhabi based poet, Bahareh Amidi, who went on a limb and decided to give her creativity total flight, despite all the risks and challenges. I bet her success story was not without sweat, toil and tears.
The UAE is full of peer support groups in the creative arts arena that you can join. Pursue it. Don’t hide your creativity. Read inspiring books on people who built successful lives from nothing. Avoid poverty thinking. Take action. Seek out a coach who can keep you accountable to reach your goals. And 2012 can be not only promising but successful beyond your imagination.
