The Flyover Creatives

I live in what’s called a “flyover state”. That means it’s one of the big states in the middle of the USA that people literally fly over when they’re traveling from coast to coast — the implication of course being that you fly over these states because they’re not important enough to stop in, and that true life only exists on the coasts.

We humans love to label things, because a.) it’s part of our nature, and b.) it helps us rule things out. We’re inundated with a constant flood of data, and it’s tempting to rule things out and give us less to deal with — one rule being that “the only important people live on the coasts”. That nothing matters outside of New York City or LA. That you need to live in New York City or LA to create. To matter.

When I tell people I’m a writer, I often get a follow-up question along the lines of, “Why don’t you live in New York?” or, “Are you planning on moving to New York?”

And I tell them, “You don’t need to live in New York to be a writer. You can write from anywhere.”

And with the internet, you can network, build relationships, and market your work from anywhere. Wherever you live, you can be a successful creator.

We have a lot of preconceived notions and cultural rules about who can be creative, and when, and where. But immersing yourself in truly living a creative life means incorporating creativity into all of yourself, into your whats, whens, wheres, whys, and hows.

You don’t need anyone to approve of where you live in order for you to be creative. You don’t need anyone else to approve of you, period. You just need to create, and you can do that anywhere.

Words & warmth,

Sarah