Embracing the Creative Spirit

“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” ~ Sylvia Plath

I imagine dread and anxiety plagued every writer, poet, and photographer as they submitted their respective pieces – stories revealing vulnerability, poems presenting deep fears, and photographs showcasing their interpretation of beauty.

What if people think I’m crazy? What if it’s obsolete, trite, or just plain stupid? What if it’s not beautiful at all?

I imagine nervousness trembled throughout each contestants’ fingertips as they pressed send or stickered stamps to an envelope. I imagine there was a deep breath once the piece was out of their hands.

I am witness to each and every entry – an entitlement I cherish as contest administrator. Each story, poem, and photograph tells me something about my fellow artists, about our individual and collective responses to life and the human condition.

I learn that a lawyer finds pleasure in crafting sonnets; that a retired nurse can describe the taste of a summer picnic while presenting a strained relationship between a young, newlywed couple; that a nine-year-old boy can spot a small snail in a lush forest and photograph the slug in great detail.

After each contest, I have greater appreciation of others’ experience and respect their ability to share what they have to say, what they imagine or recall, what they saw.

I applaud the diverse individuals who cast self-doubt aside and answered the call of the creative spirit in all of us.

Whether or not you see your submitted pieces in this issue, know they were enjoyed and keep creating!