There’s a pervasive notion out in the world that art requires suffering, that suffering for it makes you more noble…etc. etc. etc. If you’ve fallen prey to this belief, you can relax: I’m about to tell you why it’s nonsense. Suffering is optional.
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Transcript: Suffering Is Optional
Please note: This is an unedited transcript, provided as a courtesy, and reflects the actual conversation as closely as possible. Please forgive any typographical or grammatical errors.
Nancy Norbeck [00:00:06]:
Welcome to Follow Your Curiosity. Ordinary people, extraordinary creativity. Here’s how to get unstuck. I’m your host creativity coach, Nancy Norbeck. Let’s go. Have you suffered enough or maybe even too much? Hi. I am Nancy, and this is this week’s creative pep talk. I want to talk about the whole notion of suffering because so many of us seem to have this weird idea— and I know I blame everything on the Puritans, but I suspect it goes back at least that far—
Nancy Norbeck [00:00:39]:
that suffering is noble somehow that the more you suffer, the better you are, that the better your art is, the better a person you are. Insert your favorite application of suffering here. And I just want to say, I agree with the expression that says pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Suffering does not make us better. Yeah. We might end up in pain, but the more we suffer about it, the more we may well be putting ourselves there. And in a creative context, there is nothing noble about suffering for your art.
Nancy Norbeck [00:01:17]:
It does not make your art better. It does not make you a better artist. It just means that you suffer a lot. And that seems ridiculous to me. I don’t know where we decided that artists had to suffer, but it’s time that we decide something else. Because quite frankly, the less you suffer for your art, the more you have fun with it. The more art you’re going to create and the better your art will probably be. That does not mean that your art cannot come from places of pain or suffering because lord knows there are plenty of examples of amazing art that came from exactly those places.
Nancy Norbeck [00:01:54]:
That is a valid source for good art. But that doesn’t mean that we have to suffer while we’re creating it or suffer just for the sake of being an artist. Art should be a joy. It should be something that makes our lives better. And in fact, there are plenty of studies that show that it does make our lives better, and I’ll talk about those a different time. So if you are addicted or attached to the notion that we need to suffer in order to create art, that somehow something in our lives needs to be difficult in order for that to happen or to be a real artist, this is me inviting you to think on that again and put that idea down. Because, honestly, if it’s not bringing joy to your life, why on earth would you do it? I sure don’t know. And I’ll bet when you stop to think about it, you’re not so sure either.
Nancy Norbeck [00:02:52]:
So think on that, give it a try, lighten up on yourself a little bit, and see what happens. If this episode resonated with you or if you’re feeling a little bit less than confident in your creative process right now, join me at the spark on Substack as we form a community that supports and celebrates each other’s creative courage. It’s free, and it’s also where I’ll be adding programs for subscribers and listeners. The link is in your podcast app, so sign up today. See you there, and see you next week. Follow Your Curiosity is produced by me, Nancy Norbeck, with music by Joseph McDade. If you like Follow Your Curiosity, please subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to tell your friends.
Nancy Norbeck [00:03:36]:
It really helps me reach new listeners.
