Inside All of Us Is a Wild Thing

This list makes me laugh. It's my list of I guess what some might consider wild things I did as a kid. I spent a lot of time alone, and so maybe I was easily bored, and tried to entertain myself. Maybe I spent a lot of time day dreaming, following my heart, took more risks, looked for more ways to express myself, didn't like boundaries, and just liked making new experiences for myself. I have to say I haven't changed much in many ways.

6 Things I Did Differently Than The Rest?

1. Climbed the Guelph water tower on a dare when I was 13
2. Got my feet caught in an eves trough, jumping off the roof of my house again at 13
3. Got my middle finger stuck in one of the holes in a hand pump at 11
4. Shaved my eyebrow off when I was 10
5. Got a ping-pong net clamp stuck on my arm when I was about 7
6. Stuck a very small blackball candy in my ear was I was 4

I've done a lot of things that I could call stupid, but I don't think they were. Mostly I attribute this list above, to simply being a kid, and the stuff I did as an adult I'll omit. Many of the things I did as an adult might be considered a little wild by some, but in retrospect they caused me to grow, increased my confidence, never left me bored, and were great adventures.That list is long, and some are frankly a little embarrassing, some were unwise, but I've made progress, not perfection. Regardless, I've learned a lot of important beneficial life lessons. I suppose I could say or use the excuse, and say I did things because of my creative, over active imagination. I can conjecture, but I really don't know, nor do I really care.

Today I came across this list of 22 things creative people do differently than the rest.

After reading this article, I concluded that as a 'creative'  for as long as I can remember, I am always rather suspect when there are definitive descriptions about the way artists think, and behave. Making generalizations perpetuates myths, misconceptions and misunderstanding. There are more than enough sweeping statements already made, and opinions held about how artists think and behave.


We are all individuals. Everyone has creative capacities. I think making generalizations tends to put people into a stereo typical role, and perpetuates a certain kind of artist persona.

All that said, the lists I found I could most relate to about artists, have been made by Julia Cameron, in her book, The Artist Way. Her list of  Basic Principles, and learning about the myths regarding artists are life altering, and breakdown the stereotypical beliefs surrounding why we believe the myths about why should not or can not be artists.

I'd love to hear what other people did differently than the rest, as a kid, and as an adult ( if you're not too embarrassed) and if you think you are or were different. Do creative people do things differently than the rest? I hope you leave your comments.