Forgive me if I wax philosophical.

Some of the most creative, talented people I know never get anywhere.

They keep postponing their work, making excuses, one after another.

“Oh, I’ll do it when I’m settled in our new house.” Which they’ll acknowledge in the next sentence might take a year.

Or there are children to raise. “When they go into preschool, I'll have time.” Then, “when they’re in elementary school.” And so on.

It doesn’t stop.

These people never seem to put themselves first, for anything. There are meals to make, books (and not the kind you read) to keep, always the never-ending business of living to be seen to, and somehow, the creative person in the marriage or partnership is the one who takes all the busy-ness on.

They have so many obligations that keep them from the one thing that would make their souls sing.

I see this squandering of talent more in women than men. I think men learn early on that it’s okay to say no, while women are taught to say yes, to be pleasers. Truly, I do know how hard it is to do it all.

There are consequences to talented people not using their talents. The years go by and their creative skillset gets rusty. Their making art or books muscles atrophy. There’s a medical term—sarcopenia—which means the natural loss of muscle tissue as you age. I wonder if there’s a term that defines when your creative muscle—your moxie if you will—shrivels and disappears? The urge you forget that’s still there, because you never think to use it. It’s like you stuck it in the deepest, darkest part of your psyche.

But I can tell you the never using your creativity hurts. The regret shows.

People will let you down. People will betray you.

Don’t let yourself be one of those people.

Don’t break promises you’ve made to yourself. Don’t betray your dreams.

©2015 Jennifer J. Stewart