I am about one-third of the way through the book I picked up at Red Fern Booksellers, My Friends by Fredrik Backman. My brother texted me when he was halfway through and said, “You need to get this. I want to talk about it.” After the first few pages, I knew why. 

Backman’s previous book, A Man Called Ove (ooovay), was a lovely story with well-rounded characters that was eventually made into a movie starring Tom Hanks. His latest book centers on the lives of a young artist and two groups of best friends that span a couple of decades.

The story is full of humor, pain, and challenge. The reason I am writing about it here is because of the author’s ability to shed light on the creative process and how being a creative sometimes places us outside mainstream thinking.

It serves as an excellent reminder that, as creative people, we sometimes need to forego tradition and structure to reveal new truths through our creations. This tightrope walk between tradition and avant-garde is full of challenges. We want to engage with others, but not at the expense of conformity killing our creativity.

These first 150 pages make me appreciate the opportunity to see the world from a fresh perspective, and not simply as a rule-keeper or follower. This may earn me a raised eyebrow or a look of bewilderment from others from time to time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Don’t ever take for granted the gift of being able to travel your own unique path as you try to make sense of the world. Enjoy the journey!