TheBanyanTree: Life Stories 209

[Monique Colver]

The problem with being a creative genius is that we're so often
unrecognized, most especially by ourselves, and if we can't even recognize
it, how can anyone else? On the other hand, shouldn't it just be obvious to
the world at large? Shouldn't they be able to see it and point it out to US?
That would make it much easier on us, wouldn't it? But no -- they themselves
are blank empty ciphers and we must point it out to them, and to do so we
(meaning you, of course, not me at all) must have the resolve to keep
pressing forward against all odds. That, I'm afraid, is part of the creative
genius process. Sometimes we may get lucky. Mostly we (meaning you, since I
cannot claim to be any kind of creative genius) must show them what they're
missing by not seeing us as we truly are, because mostly they just can't see
far enough to see what they're missing. You, dear Tobie, are not a failure.
And the really cool thing about our chosen calling is that it is never too
late for us to have grand ideas and see them become reality. The same can't
be said for ballerinas and pro golfers, for stuntmen and beauty queens. The
toes of the ballerinas give out, the golfers start hitting over par, the
stuntmen break too many bones to keep going, and the beauty queens,
tragically, age. Looking behind them, they see the best years are behind
them, and unless they take on a new mission, one that can age with them,
they have no hope of recapturing the glory that might have been theirs. But
us, we can do what we do for all our lives, until we can't sit at a keyboard
or hold a pen. Even then, we can keep creating stories in our heads, and
there's always that possibility that we will be recognized, preferably while
we're still around to say, "Hah! I told you so!"

Meanwhile, you keep doing what you do. You do it well. Your words work. The
trick is to believe in ourselves as much as we wish others would, because
sometimes we have to do it first. I'm working on that myself. We'll work on
it together.