Creativity is a cruel mistress

She beguiles us with promises of enriching our lives by doing what we love: creating.

She showers us with glittering ideas of possibility and success. But just when we feel we are winning, and she is firmly by our side, she leaves us.

No goodbye letter, no apology, no farewell kiss on our weary heads.

She leaves us because our hearts have grown cold and sad or broken and lonely, or because we have become distracted by shiny baubles that have no value to her.

She leaves us because our bodies are too cold and the days are too short, or it’s too hot, too noisy, too stressful, too empty.

She leaves us in our very moment of need like dust on the wind.

But is it all just a test?

As if she needs to see if we keep trying without her comforting embrace, swimming against the constant tide of doubt and failure.

And then suddenly she is back, smiling, without an acknowledgement of her sudden absence.

She is a cruel mistress.

But we could not do this without her, so we gladly welcome her into our arms and our hearts to create wonderful things together once more.