PROFESSIONAL -VS- PERSONAL

As creative artists, how do we separate our personal life and professional life? It seems that for me, my personal experiences are indeed a major part of my professional life because it's those very emotions that fuel my desire to have to, want to, need to express them in some form or fashion.

There's a saying that goes, "If you want to be a great artist, then live a very interesting life."


I couldn't agree with that statement more. How can we write, act, dance or sing about something that we don't feel within our gut? When we go into character, shouldn't we be able to truly relate in some way? Meaning, not just through fantasy, but also because everything in life is interlinked to our human race, and what one person thinks of has already been so or can be so?

Never mind that... That's veering off topic just a little. The point is, what I go through, I write about. Maybe not exactly as non-fiction, but I do write about subjects I know. For instance, if I'm broken hearted because the love of my life just gave me a rude awakening, I cry it out in a song, describing the pain in my lyrics while allowing the passion in my vocal delivery to send a message. How else can I create? To make something up, completely foreign to me? Well, some people can do that. But not I. For me, I live my life on edge (to the most part) and exploit it. That way... after I read, see, or listen to my masterpiece, I analyze and understand it a little bit better later on. Because I never understand while I'm actually going through the process... But that doesn't mean that I let it block my creativity. In fact, sometimes it's the confusion, the darkness, and the uncertainty that births the opportunity to draw the picture through my own eyes while living in the moment - in slow motion or high speed dramatic details.

"Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get." - From the movie, FORREST GUM