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writing-for-life · 6 months

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Writing Is The Loneliest Art...

A couple of days ago, this piece of art with a Neil Gaiman quote flickered across my desktop, and it made me think, so longish post about writing, mental health and human connection ahead..

The actual quote says:

The hardest part of being a writer is that you get lonely. It's just you and the stuff in your head and nobody else can do it for you.

I used to be a performer. I spent a good 10 years of my life in theatres and on stage. That can be lonely, too, but in very different ways. You find a "family" for a short while, and then the show is over, and you all disperse to heaven-knows-where again. Some of these friendships last, others don't, but even the ones that do are hard to maintain because of the nature of the job (if you a very lucky, your paths may cross again for another show).

But the difference, to me, was that I had a physical outlet. That's also stressful in many ways, and being a performer is hard and emotionally taxing (plus, the industry sometimes makes you want to vomit). But it is a very different feeling to channel creative energy into something that is physical.

When I write, I only have the words in my head and the blank page; if I am lucky, the words will come out in a way that stops the page from being blank. And although I wrote "Writing Is The Loneliest Art" as a headline, I imagine this must be quite similar for visual/graphic artists.

I was a writer before I was a performer. I came back to my first love, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Writing always was, and still is, the most truthful form of creative expression for me. I am also lucky enough not to have to earn an income with it (although I do) because I have a job that takes care of that (and thankfully one that comes in handy for character development and world building). But it is very easy to become trapped in your head and thoughts, to stop engaging with the life that is out there. And that life is important--for inspiration, for self-care, for human connection. To break these connections, knowingly or unknowingly, is a real issue for many writers. If I am not careful, it happens to me, too. I have a family, and I am constantly teetering on the edge of spending time in my head or with the blank page when I should be present with them. I can snap myself out of it, but it is not always easy to do, and most writers can probably relate. Because thoughts are thoughts and ideas are ideas. They don't care when they pop into your head, and they will try to claim space, whether the moment is "right" or not.

I have a self-care routine in place to prevent myself from getting trapped in my own head (that's maybe for another post), but it takes effort and constant reminders to get up from my desk, get out, get fresh air and move. Because I'd rather be in my head and write. I am an introvert, like many writers, but that's not a big blanket permission to stop connecting with life. Introversion and loneliness are not one and the same, and writers (everyone really) need to understand the difference. You need to pick up that phone, see people and surround yourself with humans from time to time for your own sake. Not just through your job. You need humans around you whom you truly connect with.

But back to different art forms: As a performer, I had the direct interaction with my fellow performers, and with my audience. I cannot stress enough how important the latter is, and I have said this on here many times: Art comes alive through interaction and communication. It connects us through shared humanity. And there are art forms out there that take care of that connection by default--I have felt the difference, and it is profound.

Yes, we can still write or create art as a form of processing emotions, and from a psychological viewpoint, this is healing and helpful.

But art needs to be both created and experienced. Every art ultimately becomes meaningless without the viewer/reader/audience. Art is never a one-way street.

Writers tell stories, but these stories don't exist in a vacuum. They exist because we can't help writing them, and we would always do it anyway, but they also exist because we want you to read them. And it means something to us to know they moved you, made you laugh, made you cry, made you find out something about yourself you didn't know yet, or they just helped you forget about the troubles you are going through for a little while.

So if you appreciate art forms that don't have direct audience interaction, let the artists know you did. It is not annoying us. We are happy about it. Most of us want that communication. And writers probably need it most...

#neil gaiman #writers #writing #writer life #writer problems #writerscommunity #writeblr #writers of tumblr #writer self-care #writers and poets #writing community #author #writers on tumblr #let your writers know what their stories mean to you #writers mental health #artist struggles #artist problems #artist mental health

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luminary-sunflower · 5 months

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I hate the meme that "Ari Aster never went to therapy" (or other dark/horror/surrealist artists). No. People like us NEED therapy and BENEFIT from therapy. It HELPS us produce good quality art and express ourselves, to know how to manage our emotions and heal through our art... Stop spreading this lie that our mental health should suffer for your entertainment!!! I couldn't produce any of my edgy drawings until I had enough therapy to get it out of my mind safely. I needed Prozac to be able to share my poetry with others.

#ableism #tw ableism #artist #artist mental health #Sunnyside musings

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ur-daily-inspiration · 27 days

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yeehawpim · 7 months

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keep going

#original comic #artists on tumblr #mental health #comic #digital art #my art #my comic

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sighcomics · 3 months

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practise disappearing

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artbylittlebug · 7 months

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#art #my art #cute #illustration #comfort #positive #mental health #artists on tumblr #animals #self care

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bymossypine · 3 months

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🌱 Rest is productive

#art #artists on tumblr #illustration #digital art #cute art #procreate #cute #cottagecore #digital illustration #mental health #positive quotes #positive mental attitude #mossypine

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daily-spooky · 27 days

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Credit/Source

#funny #lol #haha #humor #meme #memes #art #draw #drawing #artists on tumblr #pale #grunge #alternative #goth #gothic #spooky #halloween #mental health #words #quotes #books #book quotes

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homosexualfairy · 2 months

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#lol #memes #funny #humor #haha #facts #mental health #gay #lgbt #lgbtqia #comics #art #draw #drawing #artists on tumblr

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my-kawaii--world · 2 days

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OMG I FOUND ANGELO HERE WITH FREE SHIPPING!

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strobe-fluid · 2 months

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help a latinx sibling with rent and bills!

hi everyone! sorry for doing a post so soon i thought february was going to be okay but i need some help right now with some stuff

i need to pay house bills like wi-fi and electricity (food would be nice too!) and also rent. my sister can’t help me get through this month,as you know i am unable to work because of my mental health and i have no family other than my sister

anything helps and reblogs come a long way too

if we are able to reach my goal before the end of the month i would really appreciate it

and i want to remember you all reblogs and sharing my story helps a ton too, if there’s anything you want to know please let me know and we can have a chat, being skeptical about strangers online it’s okay…

p*yp*l

k*fi

0$/500$

#upload #mental health #artists on tumblr #lgbtq #emergency #help #recovery #aid #latino #non bianry #gay #trans femme

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wordsmith30 · 10 months

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You know what makes me the most upset about the use of AI in our culture? It's not just removing artists from art or devaluing human creativity -- it's treating people like they're disposable.

Oh, you're not that special. We have computers to do that now. If you died tomorrow, we have your image. We have your voice. We have your biometric data. We can just duplicate you, it's no problem. Who needs flesh and blood? Who needs agency and free thought? Who needs the human soul? You're just a tool. And when we're done with you, we'll just toss you aside and find someone else.

Creatives, listen to me, and listen to me good: you have a voice and it matters. There is no one in the history of the world who is exactly like you, in this time or this place. There is no one who thinks like you, acts like you, speaks like you, moves like you. There is nobody else built like you. Nobody else with your unique experiences and outlook of the world. You are a product of history, of culture, of art, of love, of pain, of possibility. Don't let them take that from you.