Creative Minds Make Sensitive Souls

If there's one thing that has stayed constant through my life of many chapters and changes, it's the way I feel intense emotion and always sympathise with others.

Although some might say this is a beautiful quality and can make a person remain humble, and equally have a sense of warmth to them, this is something I have always struggled to deal with. When it takes hold, I honestly have to work out a way to 'deal' so that I can manage my daily tasks.

As a realist individual, who has always had the outlook of you can do anything you put your mind to. And very much believe in working hard to get what you want, I struggle with the part in me that is the dreamer side, the creative in me. When this element of me kicks in, it's hard to control the spiral of emotions that comes next. It's overpowering.

There's something in being a songwriter, musician, poet, an artist that creates a space to really feel. And as someone who regularly song-writes, sings and performs music, this truly pours through me on a daily basis. The expression of one's self is almost opening the opportunity for another person to do the same.

The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers. - Roy Ayers

Out of the context of the dream world and into reality, the every day can be overwhelming—when a close friend shares that they are struggling and need your help or advice, when a stranger who's homeless and living on the street, turns to you and asks for money with sadness in their eyes and worse when they are often ignored. It honestly feels as though my heart physically hurts.

A similar but even more powerful thing happens when I listen to music. Listening to a song about any given situation, if it's told in a way that is honest and pure, almost creates a sense of something that is beyond the basic emotional responses. It can't even be put into words, it's as though all of the worlds; pain and sadness, hatred, disappointment, suffering, fear, love, kindness, devotion... is being felt all at once.

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." Ludwig Van Beethoven

Its interesting to me how many people I know that are musicians or songwriters, or artists of any kind that have the same kind of trouble.

In the last few weeks several friends have spoken about how they have to put on a front and most of the time walk quickly through life because when they stop, just for a second and really open their eyes to how they are feeling inside, it's too much to bear. I know this is a challenge for a lot of us, not just the creative types but there is an added kind of pain that I see in those who dabble or devote their whole life to an art form.

"Perhaps paramount among our tendencies to conceal our emotional fragility from others is the fear that exposing it would make us look weak to them--and, indeed, make us feel weak and powerless ourselves."Surely writing and expressing one's self is showcasing that it's ok to be fragile and that way of thinking has allowed for some of the greatest songs of all time to exist. But it seems that to get by in 'normal' society and carry out the everyday tasks such as go to work, or even wake up in the morning and get dressed without hesitation, those feelings have to be put to one side. The ideal would to be able to find a balance between the two, the logical and the emotional, but that is something I am yet to accomplish.What about you? Can you relate?

- Here's a collection of four songs that make me feel a lot of emotion but believe me when I say, there's an endlessly long list that do that to me.

Submotion Orchestra do it so well, their songs bring to mind memories of past loves of mine. And although their songs are usually uplifting, this one is completely different.

It doesn't matter how many years go by, this remains one of my favourite songs of all time. I feel the weight of the world when I listen, but also a slight sense of hope and chance for freedom.

Just recently re-discovered this talented lady. This song is one of those that I think can relate to many different situations. To me, the lyrical content talks about when you want to give yourself to someone but knowing when to stop and protect your feelings.

There's no way I could miss this one off of the list, I know so many songwriters appreciate Joni Mitchell's work as she has an incredible ability to really set the scene. I'll let you take a listen for yourself.