008 Creative Grief Unmasked

After publishing my three-novella series "Chronicles of Kenji," I experienced an unexpected emptiness that I later identified as creative grief – the mourning process that follows the completion of a significant creative project. 

• Creative grief is a normal part of the artistic process, not just a block
• Every creative project has its own season, including the grieving period
• Exploring different creative mediums can provide alternative outlets while recovering
• Time eventually allows healing and readiness to begin new projects
• The process of making art reflects life itself with its emotional highs and lows

Transcript

Copy

Introduction to Pockets Podcast

Richmond 0:05

Hi , you're listening to Pockets , a podcast about finding joy , meaning and purpose in life's simplest moments . I'm Richmond Camero . Let's dive into today's journey .

Richmond 0:25

I spent four years writing , editing and preparing my three novella series Chronicles of Kenji . It was October 2022 when I finally hit the publish button for these three books . It was fulfilling and exciting the mere fact that my story is out there in the world for readers to read . I understand that it's not an immediate success . I expect that I won't be beside names like Brandon Sanderson or VE Schwab anytime soon . But one I didn't expect is a feeling , a feeling that seemed to come out from nowhere and weighed on me for several months . It was grief .

Richmond 1:11

I didn't know what to call it that time . I thought it was just a temporary creative block and I only needed to have fresh ideas for me to start again . But it was so difficult to start a new project . I would have some ideas , I would start to outline a few scenes I had in mind , but it didn't end up into something tangible At that time . I already have a system on how to approach my projects . I knew I have the tools to overcome block , but for some reasons , those techniques weren't working . So I asked myself then what do I do now ?

Richmond 1:51

As with all things , I started with the virtue of curiosity to further probe what I felt . I just finished writing a three novella series . Why did I feel empty ? When I thought about it , it felt like I just lost something that I was used to seeing in the four years I'm doing a project . Imagine that , on a semi-daily basis , I was working on this project . I spent a good amount of time with the characters I created and I've seen their highs and lows . Consequently , I went through the peaks and valleys of the creative process . There was a certain rhythm that the project brought and then it was finished . It was all gone . The routine that I was so used to was gone . I felt empty and it felt like it was a long creative block . They say that in order for us to have power on something , we need to find it a name . So I couldn't say how relieved I was when I found the proper name for what I'm feeling Creative grief .

Richmond 3:03

I found an article talking about it and it was describing how I felt . That time I felt seen and validated that what I was feeling towards my finished project was normal . I felt better because I was aware of what was happening to me , but at the same time , I also knew that it would still take some time for me to get back again . Looking back , there are some things that I learned when I was going through my creative grief . The first is understanding that it is part of the creative process .

Richmond 3:34

It's strange to think that grief is part of creation , but in other ways it also makes sense . Everything is temporary , and that includes the process of creation itself . Everything is temporary , and that includes the process of creation itself . Yes , once we make art , it has the potential to last more than a lifetime , but the time and effort that we resiliently and happily spend for the project , that's something that we cannot experience again . That's why there's grief . We mourn for the time we spend with our project and that's why , also , it is part of the process . If we want to continue creating , there will be new projects that we will start and someday it will end too . Even the process of creation has its own season . Second is the way that I cope up with the grieving season .

Richmond 4:25

This was difficult . Even though I understand what I was going through . It was tough for me to start a new project with the same energy I did with the last one . So how would I continue creating then ? What I found helpful is to define the minimum output that I could create Spending five minutes creating , writing a few sentences following prompts , world building and even journaling . It might vary as each day pass , but I know I have something to turn to If that doesn't work . Turning to a different hobby might be helpful , like drawing or playing music .

Richmond 5:07

Creation is multidimensional . We can express in different medium , even though we're going through grief in one of them . Lastly , is that time would allow us to heal and go through our next project . Eventually , the season of mourning passed and I was able to appreciate that I have a finished project under my belt . That was when I felt ready to start a new writing project . It took time , but it was time needed for me to go through the different stages of grief . I felt stronger , but at the same time I am also aware that this might come again . Art has always been a depiction of life , and it's not art as the final product only . That is also applicable to art as a process . The process of making art is a roller coaster of emotions with its own highs and lows , and all of them contribute to the beauty of creating . You've been with Puppets . Thank you so much for sharing this space with me . Now go embrace the moments , build your pockets of meaning and keep curiosity as your guide .