As a child, I was either reading, writing or drawing (or some combination thereof), which is what I still mostly do today. In fact, I made a career of combining these passions—creating and designing magazines, publications, ads, websites, exhibits; writing headlines, blogs, marketing content; now adding photography and painting to the mix, and working on some fiction pieces, even a novel.

One of my favorite pasttimes has been visiting bookstores, for the thrill of the many intriguing titles, for the design, typography, illustrations and photographs on the book covers, for the words on the page I see when I open a new book, inhaling its just-off-the-press scent.

But lately, the offerings at bookstores seem overwhelming and often even depressing to me–I think, even if I’m able to one day finish that novel, how could one more book ever offer anything these haven’t?

But of course, that’s not true.

Perhaps not. Yet what possible impact could one more painting or drawing have? If a painting floats to earth into a forest of art and no one notices its arrival, does it matter?

Of course it matters.

Still  . . . it’s a similar feeling to one that’s bubbled up regarding photography, for a long time now—given the assault of images made by everyone and shared everywhere, I wonder, how could the world need one more photograph?

But of course—that’s just not true.

What’s true is doing what you need to do. Creative people know this inherently. Artists know they must make art, or risk being less than they know they can be. Writers need to write, to process and validate what’s so perplexing all around them. Photographers find their cameras are extensions of their own vision, allowing them to see and focus on what’s not readily apparent.

What’s true is doing what you need to do. ♣

Related articles

• ‘Everyone Is A Photographer’: Specialize or Perish (petapixel.com)
• Who Needs a Paintbrush When You’ve Got Magic Fingers (creativitism.wordpress.com)
• Advice for Would-Be Writers (cultofajracewood.wordpress.com)

Want to learn more about my upcoming novel? Subscribe HERE. For more on the art of writing, look HERE. Stroll through my art prints and paintings HERE. Or just find some inspiration among 45 quotes on writing, art and creativity, HERE.