can discomfort fuel our creativity?

dav adé
Apr 8
3 min read

tldr;

discomfort can be a silent voice nudging along your creative process. from the pressures of parenting to the mid-campaign lull of a kickstarter, we are constantly pulled into moments where we have to sit with some overwhelming feelings. at BLANK, we are building a space where artists can learn to swim, providing the life support needed to turn systemic pressure into creative fuel.

navigating the sink or swim moments of the integrated life.

there is a weight to this current moment that is hard to ignore. we live in a society where most of us navigate jobs that demand our spirit but offer no recognition. some of us are parenting through a world that feels like it is crumbling at the edges. and even here, in the middle of our kickstarter journey, we've hit the lull where the initial adrenaline has faded and the real work begins.

these are the sink or swim moments. they activate a fight or flight response that can either paralyze a practice or ignite it. the truth is that for a creator, discomfort is rarely a sign that you are on the wrong path... it is often the very thing that forces you to move.

the water around the ship

there is a saying that ships do not sink because of the water surrounding them... they sink because of the water that gets inside.

as artists, we are surrounded by pressure every day. the stability of a paycheck can feel like a cage when it lacks human connection. the noise of the news can feel like a heavy blanket.

even the milestone of being 39% funded with $5,873 in pledges brings its own kind of stress... the pressure to keep the momentum alive for the next 14 days, and reach that 50% psychological milestone.

if we let that external pressure get inside, we sink. but if we use that water to keep us buoyant, we find a different kind of strength.

the biological response to the lull

when we hit a lull... whether it is in a campaign or in a studio session... our bodies naturally go into defense mode. we start to question if the effort is worth the exhaustion. we are founders from backgrounds that were taught to value the pension path over the creative risk. breaking that cycle is uncomfortable, but it is also the only way to build a blueprint for those coming after us

raising children while building a legacy without a blueprint adds a layer of urgency that the traditional art world does not always acknowledge. it is a constant exercise in whether one can self-govern and achieve balance to make a career in this industry.

when we interviewed the 27 artists considered for the cast, we heard the same thing again and again: they need a platform that values their time and their story. we've found that working in a vacuum is one of the greatest sources of creative discomfort, which is why artists seek community and recognition.

the BLANK perspective: survival as a skill

at BLANK, we believe that every artist who chooses to swim deserves a lifeline. we are not just making a competition show; our non-profit org is designed on pillars that provide life support for the creator.

we are here to teach the community how to survive the waters without letting it sink them. our pilot, which films april 26th is the proof that you can take the discomfort of being "the first" and turn it into a stage that was never built before.

we are currently raising $15,000 on kickstarter to fund this rebellion. it is a high-stakes moment, but we choose to swim. we choose to believe that the friction of the present is exactly what creates the legacy of the future.