Creative Masochism

Claire and Lindsey at our August meeting in Stuttgart.  A rare day of sun. 

It must be a 'creative person'  thing. 

Jim said it best, or most succinctly anyway, at one of our Writers' Group meetings a few years back. 

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm a masochist."  he said.  "I don't write and I don't write and I don't write and I am miserable.  And then I write and I feel great.  And then I go ahead and stop writing again.  Somehow I must like being miserable to keep putting myself in that position."

He probably said it better than that but I can't find my notes.  And yes, I took notes, but only because it fit my situation so perfectly.

Claire says it all the time.  And Liz.  And Lindsey.

Except that, now that I think about it, we all say it about exercising too.  And eating well.  And getting fresh air.  And all those other things that are good for us.

By 'we' I mean most everyone I know at one point or another about one thing or another.

Caroline, Jim and Ken showing that you can't judge a creative person by their covering!

So that maybe its just a condition of human nature that we need to overcome.

Me?  I find that when I write, the house is cleaner, the meals are healthier and more things get checked off the 'to do' list than when I don't write.  I create the energy to live my life through writing. 

Why I'd stop writing - even for a few short weeks - is really beyond me.

Unless that quick burst of joyous energy that comes from starting again makes up for the pain.  Which makes us adrenaline junkies, not masochists.

Or maybe just makes us human!