3 ms·

> I've come to understand that what all their excuses amount to is that they're just not interested in creating. I don't think this is true. If they were unint

by johnfn 9y ago

> I've come to understand that what all their excuses amount to is that they're just not interested in creating. I don't think this is true. If they were uninterested, they would simply say so, rather than making a series of excuses. What seems more likely to me is that they are (on a deep level) scared of creating. Creativity of any sort requires you to project your personality and be vulnerable in a way that people don't normally do. This can be pretty scary when most actions people do don't open themselves up to possibly being criticized on such a personal level. I think when people aren't creative it's not that they don't care, but rather that the fear of being judged (whether conscious or unconscious) is too strong to overcome. This is why people "don't have any creative ideas" - it's not that they don't have ANY, but instead that they reject the ideas that they do have because they think they are not good enough. This is also the basis of writers block.

pmoriarty 9y ago
"If they were uninterested, they would simply say so, rather than making a series of excuses." I think they make those excuses because they don't want to cause offense by saying they aren't interested in what I'm interested in (and even consider to be part of my identity). I do agree that fear could motivate their aversion, though. But if the fear is there, I don't think it's usually rises to their consciousness or at least is something they could readily admit -- as if it was, they could simply say they're afraid, couldn't they?
- randcraw 9y ago
  Or maybe people refuse to try what you suggest because they hate the results of their past efforts. Many people cannot sing, and no amount of practice will change that. Many others are grossly uncoordinated, and thus hate dance or playing sports. If every attempt I make to draw with pencil and paper looks sick to me, I'm going to stop drawing (which I have). But I'm happy to create in other media. Maybe the trick to being "creative" is finding a suitable medium for innovation, which may not be one that's typically considered to be "art" -- like software design, organizing your workshop, or building a better mousetrap.
WalterBright 9y ago
> If they were uninterested, they would simply say so, rather than making a series of excuses. Haha, not my experience with people. The excuses people say are rarely the truth. People speak in euphemisms for a variety of reasons, and you've got to divine the truth from between the lines. Q: "Wanna go to a movie friday?" A: "Can't, I'm washing my hair that night!" What she really meant: "Drop dead, Walter!"

by johnfn 9y ago

pmoriarty 9y ago

"If they were uninterested, they would simply say so, rather than making a series of excuses." I think they make those excuses because they don't want to cause offense by saying they aren't interested in what I'm interested in (and even consider to be part of my identity). I do agree that fear could motivate their aversion, though. But if the fear is there, I don't think it's usually rises to their consciousness or at least is something they could readily admit -- as if it was, they could simply say they're afraid, couldn't they?

randcraw 9y ago
Or maybe people refuse to try what you suggest because they hate the results of their past efforts. Many people cannot sing, and no amount of practice will change that. Many others are grossly uncoordinated, and thus hate dance or playing sports. If every attempt I make to draw with pencil and paper looks sick to me, I'm going to stop drawing (which I have). But I'm happy to create in other media. Maybe the trick to being "creative" is finding a suitable medium for innovation, which may not be one that's typically considered to be "art" -- like software design, organizing your workshop, or building a better mousetrap.

WalterBright 9y ago

> If they were uninterested, they would simply say so, rather than making a series of excuses. Haha, not my experience with people. The excuses people say are rarely the truth. People speak in euphemisms for a variety of reasons, and you've got to divine the truth from between the lines. Q: "Wanna go to a movie friday?" A: "Can't, I'm washing my hair that night!" What she really meant: "Drop dead, Walter!"