[This week author Chad Grayson shares wisdom of establishing your creative support system]
No one is an island, least of all creative people. All of us who are engaged in creative work need to have lives that support that work. But what does it mean to have a support system? What forms can that take?
A major kind of support, and perhaps one of the most important, is the support of the people in your life, at least some of them. No matter what kind of creative work you’re engaged in, you need people who will support your dream in major and minor ways.
The Power of People Who Believe in You
These are people who will help you protect and keep you on track. None of these people necessarily needs to understand the in’s and out’s of your specific projects but they should agree with you that your work is a priority.
This support can take many forms. It’s the partner who keeps a job maintaining health insurance so you can go part-time in your job. It’s the best friend who listens to you babble about your rough drafts. It’s the parents who brag about your accomplishments to your friends even if they really don’t understand them. There are also people who hold you accountable for not squandering your creative gifts.
Use Their Support Wisely
To properly utilize these people–should you be lucky enough to have them–you need to be clear about what you need, how they can help, and understand what is reasonable.
But the most important thing you need from these people is belief–belief that your work is a valid pursuit and a good use of your time. And when you find these people, you owe them something. You owe them the courtesy of using your time wisely and working on your craft to the point that you’re making progress.
If these people come to believe that their sacrifices aren’t actually being beneficial, they will come to resent it.
When Support Fades—And What That Teaches You
For years, my former spouse supported my writing dreams. But there came a point (and we’re talking about 15 years here) where I still wasn’t finishing things. I’d made progress selling short stories, but I was constantly abandoning projects and chasing the newest idea.
She saw all that effort as a dead end. And from her perspective, she was right. Writing was not a useful use of my time anymore, and she made that clear. She wasn’t indulging me anymore.
Now, the reason I couldn’t finish things was complex. It had a lot to do with living in the closet and I needed to be out of that situation in the first place. Her withdrawing her support of my dream gave me the kick in the ass which I needed to change my life. It also meant ending the marriage and freeing both of us from the trap we were in. Not to get into all of that…but I eventually started finishing things. Then publishing them. And though our marriage had ended she was incredibly happy for me.
So, you owe it to the people who support you to make progress, so their sacrifices feel worthwhile. And if you can’t for some reason, do your best to figure out why.
Claim Your Creative Space
So, people are the first level of the support system you need. Something else you need is a location to pursue your creative projects. This could mean a dedicated home office, or craft room, or workshop, or art studio, or even a corner all to yourself.
Somewhere you can go to work.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a dedicated space. Maybe it’s a rolling organizer you keep all your scrapbooking supplies in. Something that belongs to you that other people will not mess with.
This could also mean using a co-working space or having regular hours at a library. There are many different ways to make this happen for yourself, depending on your circumstances. But stake out some territory in the actual geography of your life where you can say, ‘This is my creative space.’
This will be easier for some people than others.
In my old house, I had a dedicated office, which I loved, but when I had to move, I made do with an office in the corner of my new bedroom. This works just as well as the dedicated office did.
I put everything in there that I need and I purchased a room divider screen to partition the space. It also provides an attractive background on zoom calls. It helps that I don’t use my home office setup for anything but actual work–whether that’s writing, or design work out schoolwork–which helps it feel even more like a sacred space for creativity.
Equip Yourself with the Right Tools
Related to the issue of having a physical space, is having the proper tools for your craft. This could be a writer’s laptop, a set of woodworking tools, the proper brushes and paints, or special quilting scissors.
Having the proper tools will make you more successful and the work more rewarding. You are not doing anything wrong spending money on them (a reasonable amount anyway).
You are not being selfish. Also, depending on how you file, you might be able to deduct some of these expenses from your tax burden. (consult a professional not some rando on the internet). And it’s probably best to invest in the highest quality tools that you can afford. You’ll get more use out of them, with better results, and you won’t have to replace them as often.
The Most Crucial Support: You
But perhaps the most important part of your support system is the one thing I know you have. You.
You need to be fully behind the decision that pursuing creative work is important.
You need to give yourself permission to pursue the work, seek the training, and bring out what you create.
You need to be the first person who is on your side.
That means taking yourself seriously as a creative person and seeing it as a worthwhile pursuit. Also, it means accessing and protecting your sources of inspiration and taking a break when you need to.
It means taking the time you need to work and putting an appropriate number of resources toward it. (I mean don’t let your family starve, but still …)
It is a fundamental way of seeing yourself.
Even if you don’t think the things you create are important, I promise you they are.
In a world progressively more industrialized and automated, we need to be in touch without creativity, and people respond to work that is created by actual humans. Even if you can only do it every other weekend, or occasionally, because your life is busy, and you have responsibilities.
Seeing yourself as a creative person is the best gift you can give yourself. It is a gift only you can give yourself as well.
Building a System That Works for You
Support systems come in all sorts of formations. It may be tough to assemble all the pieces I’ve outlined here, and really, the only one that’s absolutely necessary is that last one. Be your own biggest fan, lay a foundation for yourself upon which you can build. The other things will come in time.
This and other topics are discussed regularly on David Farland’s Apex-Writers via presentations, discussions sessions, its dedicated Discord channel and Facebook group. To learn how to join, visit apex-writers.com
Chad Grayson has worn many hats: tech support flunky, gas station philosopher, reluctant middle school wrangler, and, for one unforgettable night, cheese-mold removal specialist. These days he lives in far Northern California, where he writes hopeful, character-focused sci-fi and fantasy that will break your heart and duct tape it back together. He can usually be found painting tiny fantasy heroes and monsters, wandering the woods in deep narrative contemplation, or yelling at his plot outlines like they’ve personally betrayed him (they know what they did).
His superpowers include procrastination, dyscalculia, and making emotionally devastating story beats sound like a perfectly reasonable life choice.
Find him at chadgrayson.com (where you can sign up for his bimonthly newsletter full of exclusive posts, previews, book reviews, and updates), on Threads as @c.e.grayson, on BlueSky at @chadgrayson.com, and on Facebook at facebook.com/c.e.grayson.
