Personal Creative Journey

Hello, as most of you probably know, I'm Thomas (Anthony) Terry, founder of Roses as Humans. Yes, my first name is Thomas, but I've gone by my middle name my entire life. This has created some confusion, like during school roll calls when I had to explain why I go by Anthony. However, that's beside the point of this post. I wanted to take some time to share my story and how I've arrived at this point in my creative journey. Understanding myself has been a significant part of this process. I love being creative, but interestingly, my personality is very task-oriented rather than naturally creative. It's an internal struggle I face, but as I've discovered more about who I am, things have made more sense to me.

Music

For as long as I can remember I’ve been interested in song writing and lyrics. I wrote my first song back in 2015 which doesn’t seem like it should be 10 years ago now. It was ironically about fall leaves and the irony of our love for the dyeing leaves, I called it “A Beautiful Death” by eight passengers. Now I have a song out called Autumn and my first child is named Autumn. There is a beauty how everything has tied back to my love for the season of fall.

There has been so much growth and change in the way I write and create in these past 10 years. I’ve tried out many different methods and styles which might be in part to my Grass is Greener Syndrome.

One thing that has remained the same through the years is my passion for how music can heal our brokenness. We live in a fallen word, that has been overridden with pain and brokenness. This isn’t how things were supposed to be but this is where we are. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to avoid the fall. I have found over the years using music to talk about my feelings and emotions has helped me find freedom.

Music is a powerful gift from God that helps us connect on a deeper level to our spiritual and emotional selves. I think that is why worshipping in song can have such powerful impacts on us and why going to church and worshipping our creator together can bring so much joy and healing as well.

Poetry

Another form of art I have recently fallen in love with that is similar to song lyrics is poetry. Sometimes I have a thought but don’t want to put instrumentals to it or come up with a melody so I share a poem instead. Poetry can be more of a challenge than just writing a story you have to find rhymes and analogies and say things in a creative way instead of just straight up saying things how they are.

Metaphors, similes, rhymes, and patterns are all essential elements of poetry. They expand your mind and transform how you perceive the world. Rather than simply stating "I felt sad," poetry challenges you to examine what sadness means in your life and create meaningful comparisons.

I sometimes feel overwhelmed, as captured in the line "Time won't let you slow down" from a poem I recently wrote about stress called, Stressed Out. While time doesn't actually accelerate, this metaphor helps readers connect with my emotional experience of feeling like time is flying by me.

Journaling

The final way I have been exploring my creativity and learning who I am is by journaling. I don’t have the greatest memory and I sometimes need to take time to process situations before I fully understand what I am feeling. By taking time to journal it both helps expand my creativity in writing but also helps me process what is happening in my mind. It also gives me a place to go to and be able to see how I have grown and changed. Sometimes as we go through life we can’t see how things are improving or changing but when you look back at your life you can see how things have actually gotten better for you.

You can read more about how journaling can help you in your life and creative journey in my blog post called The Effects of Personal Journaling.

Conclusion

As I reflect on my creative journey, I've discovered that creativity takes many forms—music, poetry, and journaling have each played vital roles in my self-expression. My journey has shown me that creativity isn't always about natural artistic talent; sometimes it's about consistency and using these outlets as tools for growth and healing.

Through music, I've found healing. Through poetry, I've gained new perspectives. Through journaling, I've documented my growth and clarified my thoughts. All these paths have helped me understand myself better and connect more deeply with the world around me.

I'd love to hear about your creative journey! What forms of expression have helped you process emotions or understand yourself better? Have you experienced similar tensions between task-oriented tendencies and creative pursuits? Share your story in the comments because your experience might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.