Creating Art is Like Parenting

I was looking through a notebook of mine and found a random journal entry from last year that will always ring true.

It pertains to the sense of ownership a creator feels about their art.

Here's what I wrote:

I feel similar to how full-time actors feel from constantly auditioning. For me, the auditions are applications for grants, festivals, residencies, etc. Just like those who are strictly acting, you are perpetually putting yourself in a vulnerable position, asking to be validated.

What makes this practice different as a creator is that you can't separate yourself from the material after the audition, or even after a production ends, because the work is your child—your creation.

They may eventually leave your home—being released into the world—but you still feel a strong sense of ownership and responsibility to represent them. So the journey to emancipation is incredibly precious and pressure-filled.

The child-rearing (creation) process is full of major highs and lows. It's complex, and the creator questions themself frequently along the way.

Unlike traditional parenting, the parental structure is not always a simple partnership between equal collaborators. In my case, I’m a single parent who does the vast majority of the job on my own.

I occasionally [rely on] other guardians to ‘teach my kids’ things I’m not equipped for, but it’s still up to me to make sure its activities are all in alignmenment with its true self.

Sure, I make the choice to create and raise ‘offspring’ as a single parent. But it’s not because of a lack of desire for partnership. It's because...

The need to reproduce (create) is stronger than the need for creative companionship.

Does any part of this ring true for you?