Through our actions, people judge our character. For those of us who engage in what is called “creative work” today, one trait stands out almost universally: This is the heightened sensitivity to both the outer world of stimuli and the inner world of emotion.
This sensitivity is the fuel that allows us to enter the heart of things, to feel them so vividly that we can translate them into words, images, or sounds that move others. But this same sensitivity can become a trap if we do not learn the art of detachment.
If you were to write about an endangered frog species, for instance, to truly get us to care about it, you will attach yourself emotionally to these frogs in order to give us a piece that will that us on an spectacular journey through the fragile world of frogs.
Yet once the piece is finished, the danger is staying attached. Your original goal was not to become a frog activist but to publish a piece that opened hearts to endangered animal species. To linger in the emotional world of frogs beyond that purpose is to drift away from your own path. Unless you consciously decide to change your goals, you risk attaching yourself to every rock, every cloud, every fleeting cause, until you are overwhelmed by the weight of caring too much. The world you see will slowly drift into a dark place and yet all you wanted to do was simply write about an endangered species of frogs.
Detachment is a painful process, it will feel like you have really lost a limb or two, but — it must be done. At some point, you will find yourself working with other talented people to make art. Now — when working in a team, people naturally attach to their own ideas. But when those ideas are rejected, some experience it as a rejection of themselves. Unfortunately, the inability to detach can fracture the project and the people involved.
I say to you —the dejected, Does fighting for this idea serve the larger goal of the project? Is it that important? If yes, then perhaps the problem is deeper and project itself is not for you, Join something different. No hard feelings. The team will respect you for that. If no, compromise and let us move forward. Your worth is not measured by whether every idea is accepted but by whether you contribute the greater vision with clarity.
The bizarre thing about ideas in a team that I have seen happen is, —your ideas may be rejected now when you suggest them but be implemented later when suggested by someone else in the team. If you are detached but care about the project, it will sting — but you will be happy. if you are attached and only care for your ideas, you will fight this person.
The point is to know when to take the lead, when to support, and when to step aside. To create meaningfully, we must attach ourselves enough to care deeply and then detach ourselves enough to move forward.