C7 FAMILY
9/20/26
#17 - INSTINCT
AS WE CONTINUE TO CREATE AND EXPRESS OUR VISIONS THROUGH OUR MEDIUM OF CHOICE, WE CAN SOMETIMES FACE ROADBLOCKS AS A RESULT OF OVERTHINKING. ESPECIALLY IF YOU HOPE TO SOMEDAY MAKE A LIVING OFF OF WHAT YOU CREATE, THESE ROADBLOCKS CAN BE INCREDIBLY OVERWHELMING, SINCE THEY MAKE YOU QUESTION EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR PROCESS. THIS ROADBLOCK LOOKS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE, BUT FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT EXISTS IN THE FORM OF A CONSTANT QUESTION OF VALUE REGARDING THE WORK. IF IT IS SOMETHING I HAVEN'T YET CREATED, IT CAN SIMPLY BE THE SUBCONSCIOUS CONCERN THAT THIS PIECE OF WORK DOES NOT COMPARE TO MY PREVIOUS PIECES OF WORK. EVEN IF YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU ARE MAKING SOMETHING SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE IT, IT CAN BE EASY TO COMPARE IT TO PREVIOUS THINGS YOU’VE MADE, WHICH CAN SOMETIMES RESULT IN IT NEVER BEING MADE AT ALL. THE REASON I BRING THIS UP IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE IS A DIRECT COUNTER TO THIS HABIT OF DESTRUCTIVE OVERTHINKING: ACTING ON INSTINCT.
I’VE FOUND THAT THE PROJECTS AND PIECES OF ART THAT I’VE BEEN THE MOST PROUD OF THAT I’VE CREATED WERE THOSE THAT HAD LITTLE TO NO PLANNING BEFORE HAND. I SIMPLY THOUGHT OF THE IDEA AND EXECUTED IT. THESE IDEAS WERE CREATED INSTINCTUALLY, SINCE THEY WERE PASSING THOUGHTS THAT WERE A RESULT OF EVERY MOMENT THE TOOK PLACE LEADING UP TO IT. WHETHER IT WAS SOMETHING I SAW EARLIER THAT DAY THAT RESONATED WITH ME OR A CONCEPT THAT I FOUND FASCINATING, THESE SMALL, NATURALLY CREATED MOMENTS ARE WHERE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CONCEPTS AND IDEAS CAN BE FOUND. I THINK THAT THE MORE WE THINK ABOUT CREATING SOMETHING, THE MORE WE CONFINE THE IDEA TO THE FRAMEWORK OF OUR CURRENT TIME. IF YOU FULLY EXECUTED AN IDEA THAT WAS CREATED THROUGH JUST A PASSING THOUGHT, YOU DON’T GIVE YOURSELF THE CHANCE TO DULL IT DOWN BY TRYING TO MAKE IT FIT INTO THE BOXES OF OUR MODERN DAY WORLD. THE IDEAS THAT ARE SIMPLY NATURAL GENERATIONS FROM OUR MIND ARE IN MY OPINION THE MOST IMPORTANT, SEEING AS THEY GIVE US A LOOK INTO OUR NATURAL CREATIVE INSTINCTS.
I NOW SEE THE MOST VALUE IN THESE IDEAS, SINCE THEY ARE A RESULT OF EVERYTHING WE’VE EVER DONE. IF WE SEARCH FOR CREATIVE IDEAS EXTERNALLY INSTEAD OF INTERNALLY, WE ARE TELLING AN EXTERNAL STORY AS OPPOSED TO AN INTERNAL STORY. NOW THIS MAY BE THE GOAL FOR SOME, HOWEVER I FIND THE MOST VALUE IN ART THAT IS PERSONAL TO THE ARTIST, AND THE ONLY WAY TO CREATE ART THAT IS PERSONAL IS TO CREATE INTERNALLY. A LOT OF MY BODY OF WORK IS BUILT ON REFERENCES WHICH COULD BE CONSIDERED EXTERNAL, HOWEVER I BELIEVE THAT WHAT MAKES THESE IDEAS INTERNAL IS MY INTEREST IN EXPRESSING THEM, AND HOW THE IDEAS WERE EXECUTED. EVEN IF THE IDEA IS ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME AS A PREEXISTING CONCEPT, THE FACT THAT I DECIDED TO CREATE IT AND ADD IT TO MY BODY OF WORK IS WHAT MAKES IT PERSONAL. WHILE THERE IS A PART OF MY BRAIN THAT LIKES IT LESS BECAUSE IT WASN’T FULLY THOUGHT OF BY ME ALONE, A LARGER PART OF MY BRAIN LIKES IT BECAUSE I DIDN’T LET THAT CONCERN OF ORIGINALITY STOP ME FROM BRINGING THE IDEA TO LIFE. IT WAS MY INSTINCT TO ADD THAT IDEA TO MY FULL BODY OF WORK, AND CONTINUING TO TRUST YOUR GUT FEELING ON PROJECTS LIKE THESE IS WHAT WILL HELP YOU GROW YOUR CREATIVE MUSCLES THE MOST.
-CAMERON CAMPBELL CRAIG