“You’re so creative, Matt!”, they say to me, while in the same breathe they ask, “Why are you in so much pain?” Heh. Wow.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned more about over the years, it’s pain. I’ve learned I can function with pain. I’ve learned I can succeed with pain. I’ve learned how to manipulate pain (that is, if the pain isn’t too intense). Highly intense pain can lead to a wrestling match, a brawl of sorts. What I’ve learned most about my pain however, is it’s a great source for creativity.

Whether it be writing, music, visual design or any other type of creative outlet, I encourage you to reach deep into your emotions and feel for new avenues and fresh ideas. People will doubt you. They will gossip about you. Some will even shut you out and leave you. You don’t need those people. They don’t try to understand you and most importantly they can’t accept you. Their loss.

I don’t wish pain upon anyone, but I don’t have to, because we all have it. I’m simply offering you a perspective that says, “Don’t just be in pain, make it count. Do something great with it (or at least something fun and time-consuming)”

I’ll add that meditation, prayer, and physical exercise are key ingredients for channeling your pain in a healthy way.

I’ve learned that people will judge you and they will judge you QUICKLY, if not IMMEDIATELY. People of any religion. People of no religion. They judge all the same. You have two options: 1) You can allow their inappropriate, haphazard judgement to drive your decisions; or 2) You can drive and they can fall to the wayside. I choose option two. I have no time for haters. No time.

Don’t exist in a bubble of “what will people think”. Exist in a world of self-expression where you’re the one being fully transparent while the judges are all lying to themselves and putting on masks. Everyone is creative in some way. Don’t let others dictate where your creativity goes. Take it where you need it to go. This isn’t easy for some of us, but it’s so necessary. I’m getting there. I’m making progress. You can too.

Get better. Heal. Be real… Be you.