A creative person makes this world a much more interesting place; without them, we wouldn’t have books to get lost in, art to marvel at, movies to take us into another world, or music to inspire and move us. It seems that creative people live in an entirely different galaxy sometimes, always living within their heads and letting their imaginations carry them away. This makes them very intriguing and alluring, but also, it can frustrate others who just don’t understand how the artist’s mind works.

According to a study published in NeuroImage, artists have a totally different brain than their counterparts, with increased neural matter in various parts of their brains. With that said, loving a creative person comes with some challenges, but if you just take the time to learn more about them, you can start to unveil the mystery of how their mind works.

Here are 11 things you need to know about being in a relationship a creative person:

1. They have strange sleeping schedules.

A creative person’s mind never stops ticking; it often keeps them up at night, racing with new ideas that they just have to write down before they forget them. They have an intense desire to understand all of the intricacies of this world. Because of this, they never stop asking questions. They never stop exploring, wondering, dreaming, and thinking. They often do their best work at night, when their mind won’t allow them to sleep. Therefore, they sleep in spurts, jotting down ideas and creating between small periods of rest.

2. They have a hard time finishing projects.

Creative people don’t work under deadlines or time tables; they simply create, and let their imaginations decide how far a project will go before they can deem it complete. They often flit from one project to another, as their mind doesn’t work in a linear fashion. As soon as they have a ground-breaking idea, they want to put their vision into action, no matter how many other things they have going on at the time.

3. They only work when they feel like it.

A creative person doesn’t pay attention to the time, and they certainly can’t work under the strict regime of a 9-5. Their mind works in short bursts of creativity, meaning that they do their best work in a “flow” state of mind. They can’t force themselves to write a book or create a painting; they have to wait until they feel the passion flowing through every bone in their body, and pour all of those emotions into their work. A normal schedule just doesn’t fit with the mind of a creative person.

4. A creative person spends a lot of time alone.

Obviously, a lot of noise and commotion only masks the ideas of a creative person. They need solitude in order to create their best work, and they don’t mind spending time alone. In fact, they prefer it, as they can hear all of their thoughts clearly, and transform them into a masterpiece.

5. They feel emotions on an intense level.

Creative people feel everything deeply, and sometimes feel cursed by this. However, without the ability to feel their emotions cutting through them so acutely, they wouldn’t have any foundation for their art. Their emotions create the elaborate story in their heads, and from there, they can create something beautiful that other people can relate to.

6. A creative person is deeply in touch with their inner child.

Creative people sort of missed the bus on the way to adulthood; they stayed behind, not wanting to face the monotony and drudgery of growing up. They realize that staying in touch with their inner child allows them to keep that innocent curiosity and open-minded view of the world intact, so if they seem like an eight year old trapped inside a thirty year old’s body, now you know why.

7. They put off their work until the last minute.

Creative people work best under pressure; if they have a deadline, they wait until the last possible minute to get their work done. Why? Because this allows their “flow” state to take over, making their creativity peak and their imaginations soar. The pressure of a deadline doesn’t intimidate them; in fact, it exhilarates them.

8. They are highly unorganized.

Have you ever walked into an artist’s room? Exactly. You likely saw papers strewn about, paintbrushes all over the floor, many art books opened to random pages, and notes written feverishly on Post-Its. Artists and organization don’t even belong in the same sentence, because an orderly creative person doesn’t exist. They have a method to their madness, though, and do their best work in the midst of chaos and disorder. Because art in itself is a bit chaotic, unsystematic, and unplanned.

9. A creative person forgets the world around them when immersed in their work.

If you want to talk to a creative person while they do their work, good luck. They have already entered an entirely different universe, where they can only see their ideas, their stories, and their passions. They lose themselves in their art or music, allowing it to carry them away and totally take over their mind and body. A creative person runs on raw emotion, and when they feel something deeply, they can’t help but pour that emotion into their work.

10. They don’t believe in limits.

If you tell a creative person they can’t do something, it won’t phase them. They see everything as a possibility, and know that the only limits that truly exist are inside the mind. And, when it comes to their mind, they see nothing as restricted or inaccessible. They simply laugh when people tell them the impossibilities of following their passions, because they know that many who came before them accomplished great things by not caring what other people think.

11. A creative person constantly questions the quality of their work.

A creative person is a perfectionist, and even though they may have plenty of critics, they still are their number one enemy. They look at their work from every possible angle, always wondering how they can make it better. They always ponder how much farther they could push themselves, and constantly attempt to break new barriers.

Related article: Get to know creative people by how they are unique. Click here to find out what they do differently.