You Don’t Need Permission to be Creative

To be creative… Many times, I’ve asked myself if I could create a certain piece. If I could combine this and that element. I would find myself—and still do—asking for approval or some sort of permission. I was surprised later to learn that the answer to these questions was always:

YES. I can be creative.

As a creative person, I could do whatever I wanted. After all, it was my work, my mind, my creativity. I even get goosebumps writing about it!

No one needed to tell me to be creative. I just was.

Some years ago, long before I even knew that anybody could write music, I had the chance to arrange a song for a CD. I was so nervous!

Confused Carlos: "How does anybody arrange something?" 
Composer Friend: "You can do anything you want." 

“You can do anything you want…” I was completely taken by this idea and managed to help with the arrangement.

Months later, I decided to keep writing. I wanted to create something from scratch, but still somehow felt like I needed some sort of blessing from my community, my professors, or even my friends. I had to look for a reason to do it.

“Oh, I need to create this piece because I need it for this event.”

I did not listen to my desire to create. It was “not enough” to convince myself to create, and that slowed me down.

First choral reading ever

I wrote a Kyrie as my first choral piece ever. I loved it and decided to present it in a choral workshop (Un Canto en Pascua, which I helped organize back when I was part of Venezziola!).

The composer Beatriz Corona, who would later become a dear friend and mentor, conducted it most graciously and told me:

“You should pursue composition. You can do it.”

Beatriz Corona, Composer, Pianist, and Conductor

I did not believe it immediately but kept talking about it with her. 

After a lot of courage, I wrote an Operetta!

Since I did have the support of my professors and community, I managed to write an operetta musically based on the Kyrie. I was, and still am, in love with this 24-aria concert piece. It is called “Un Cuento de Luces y Sombras” and performed it for my graduation recital.

It was awesome! I could not believe I had done all that.

Who told me that I needed to create a new opera? Based on a new libretto that I wrote with my best friend, Germán Barboza? Who told me it needed to be fiction but based on racism?

I did not need the permission of anyone to create this opera and it was awesome.

What if  I hadn’t had any help?

As I reflect on it, I am scared that if I had not had the support of my peers, I would not have done this Kyrie or the opera.

Even scarier, I would not have become a composer.

This is the reason why I’ve learned that I don’t need permission to be creative. Nobody needs to tell you: “You can be creative now.” It is something that’s within you. You can freely explore.

We sit around and wait for somebody to enable us to write a piece. The truth is that the desire, and the ideas to create the work are already within us.

We just need to trust that we are enough reason to create.

If you enjoy this Blog, the Podcast, or my pieces you can help me by becoming my patreon at www.patreon.com/composercordero. There you will find rewards and even more details about my work as a composer and perks for your career.