Someone Hates Your Work

In Christian stories of the God of Infinite Names, when He created various aspects of the material world, He alone looked upon it and said, “It is good.” In these stories, God made birds and oceans and blue skies and sandy beaches and plants. He alone decided whether these things were worthy.

And the part of God that lives in us is the part of us that has the crayons—the part of us that creates.

But no person who has lived, lives or will live is going to like every one of those creations under, on and above the Earth. God didn’t omit muskrats from creation because some shmuck in Chicago wouldn’t like them. God doesn’t change the laws of gravity simply because I want to fly without mechanical aid.  They are His Crayons, and he does with them what he damn well pleases.

And so should you.

Not everyone is going to love or even like your creations, lovers. No one will enjoy every single piece that flows through you. Not even you. I will admit: It is nice to have validation from your fellow humans. It warms the soul when someone looks at your plaything and says, “It is good.”

To truly express your voice by whatever mode it speaks, however, you need listen to but one thing: Your heart.

When the act of creation takes on a life of its own, it is only a matter of time before it reaches other people. Some people will love your work so much that they seek and want to possess it. Some people just won’t dig it. Either way is fine: The important thing is to keep creating.

So someone hates your work. So what. We don’t create to please others.

We create because it’s what the child who still lives inside us needs us to do.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you are, I love you.

With all my heart,

-Alexander