“Gave you heart and soul, stories of my pain/Feel naked ’cause I laid out all my glory and my shame/Caught fire just to have niggas ignore me and my flame” – J.Cole (Jodeci Freestyle)

The life of a creative is almost always lived on a knife edge.

Maybe because creatives are supposed to be daring and adventurous.

Or maybe because creatives are required to continually push the envelope.

Or just maybe because a life of creativity is a balancing act.

A balancing act between work and family.

A balancing act between moments of sustained creative highs and terrible despicable creative lows.

A balancing act between following an assured path and bucking the trend.

Game changer and sellout.

Celebrity status and cult following.

Underground and mainstream.

Staying put and retiring.

Tapping out and holding on.

Tested and trusted and uncertain and untried.

Old school and New school.

A creative shouldn’t care about validation, yet his work has to be validated by someone it has made some sort of impression on.

The life of a creative is an altar of sacrifices, with him standing on the knife edge.

A gymnast on a balance beam. Where all elements in the routine, as well as errors are noted by the judges.

Whether he chooses to keep standing on one spot or move, he gets cut either ways.

• Life
• Self Development