Are you creative? Do you see yourself as an artist? I believe that we are all creative, all of us. We are all born to be creative. It’s what makes us humans. Creativity can be expressed in all facets of life, in the dress you pick to wear today, in the dinner you prepare, in the way to do your work. And of course it shows in paintings, songs, dancing, films.
If we are all creative, what makes artists more special? I think that it’s their sensitivity.
About 20% of all humans are born with a high sensitivity. Animals too, by the way. Some people are sensitive for sound, others for light, color, scent or taste. When being high sensitive, your brain deals with impulses in a different way. When stimulated, a wide area in your the brain lights up in the CT scan when you hear a sound. For ‘normal’ people, the area is much smaller. When you are sensitive for sound, this phenomenon makes you also extra creative with sound.
Being high sensitive (HSP) is not an illness! It’s like having long feet, a small nose or green eyes. It’s not good or bad, even though it makes you different from most people around you. HSP can be a huge advantage when making art. You experience sound, light, scent etc. much more intense than others do.
Your different experience of stimuli often results in different needs than most people. You might need more me-time, less people around you, a clear structure, or – like me – you have to avoid artificial scent. Try to tell that to your hairdresser! 😉
Humans are very much social beings. We all need to socialize, we all want to belong to a group. Artists are no exception. HSP can be a burden if you want to fit in and if others expect you to adapt. You might feel forced to neglect your needs. Is it possible to belong to a group, even if you are very sensitive, with different needs than others?
As sensitive person you might think that all other group members have the same needs. You feel like you are the only one that doesn’t adapt. Believe me, that’s not true! In every group, most members feel different than all the others. For everyone it’s a conflict between being your true self and adapting to the group. Many artists solve the problem by creating their own social group with other artists. Though even here you have the same conflict.
If you want to stay healthy and happy, you need to stand up for your needs. Try to be as specific as possible, in a friendly way. Give the group a chance to meet your needs. And if they don’t, look for other people to socialize with 🙂