It is much more complicated for a creative to be with a creative than a doctor with a doctor. Creativity, even if of the same medium practice can vastly vary due to the liberation creation of art provides. A creatives lifestyle is more flexible (especially if freelance), and it is more challenging to understand, but it is not impossible. Because the majority of work in the medical field holds an emotionally and physically draining result, if two medics are dating each other, they have that understanding - the understanding of space, time and routine is likely to lead to a successful partnership.
If you imagine a classic persona of an artist - egotistic, ruthless, unhealthily ambitious- and from the outset you excuse their behaviour as an artistic 'quirk' (cough, cough flaw) – bad news. They're simply not a nice human, or at least irresponsible with their emotions. Treating you awfully to save their art will do the opposite to your relationship. If they're only like that in the moment of peak creation, then the responsibility would be to collaboratively discuss space away from each other during those times. Responsibility is the key here.
Despite being a creative or not, even this responsible decision can be challenging – how long is this burst going to last? Will you stay in contact, or will your relationship be frozen for the next two weeks? This would be challenging for anyone, so it's not for everyone, but if the person is worth it and treats their passion retrospectively to your relationship, then it may be manageable.
A prominent challenge between two creatives, specifically of the same medium, may come from an undercurrent of competition. Whether it's you constantly comparing and competing with your partner or vice versa, it is unhealthy and will create resentment.
Even though many creatives meet through events, viewings and exhibitions where their interests initially connect them, they can simultaneously disconnect them. However, this most definitely says more about the person competing. If one finds oneself monitoring and resenting the successes of one's partner and subconsciously competing with them, it only mirrors one's internal insecurity of not being good enough. The partner becomes the canvas for the projection – meaning that if you're not secure in your field of work then maybe pursue partners who are in a completely different creative field altogether or aren't involved with any aspects of art, other than a light interest in Tarantino's directing style or knowledge of Picasso's colour palette.
However, limited or distant knowledge of your creative pursuit or anything art-related can lead to a vast disconnect. Your partner may struggle or be unable to understand your passions and ways of seeing life – leading to a challenge in connecting with the exterior world and being unable to experience things similarly together. This can also inspire some, specifically finding an alternative perspective on life and your surroundings.
A relationship between a creative and a non-creative may be challenging. The shut-off period (if the creative individual has them) may be difficult for someone who doesn't experience such. The tight schedule of a 9-5 workday, in comparisonto a self-led day where the creative may be working night, may lead to the pair not even crossing paths or spending quantitative time to begin or maintain the relationship.
The artists who speak through their art rather than through conversation may not be the right fit for you if you strive for traditional communication forms, similar to those who communicate through sex rather than discussing a problem. Even though this may not suit every person, if a couple have a mutual understanding and it works for them, it works for them!
So, do artistic people always have to date other creatives?
If you're a confident individual you can date anyone, including other creatives, other than insecure ones! But suppose you struggle with confidence around your creativity. In that case, it may be best to be around people who don't subconsciously place pressure on your creativity and distract you from your individual pace. At the end of the day it all depends on you. Even though being with a creative isn't straightforward, the majority of people aren't straightforward, so maybe having an artistic quirk is better than being with a skydiving instructor?