Only as High as I Reach can I Grow,
Only as Deep as I Look can I See,
Only as Far as I Seek can I Go,
Only as Much as I Dream can I Be.
-anonymous
What I need to be creative. Or just Create!!!
I’ve already mentioned that I needed:
- Food
- Visual Stimuli
- Equipment
- Place
- Travel
Today, there’s three more things I need.
6. TIME
I like to have a set time that I show up for my “art”. It hasn’t always been this way, but now that I have more control over my time, it’s something I really look forward to and encourage others to follow. On the days that I work, I always schedule some art-time into my breaks. I go off , where I can be undisturbed by people or TV. Cafe style settings work well for me.
Almost daily now, you can find me doing something after dinner! Lately, I’ll get my hot chocolate made with way too many marshmallows, and I’ll sit down to c.r.e.a.t.e. something! Anything!
Before the kids could drive and I was the taxi- mom, I had to break my projects down into 20-30 minute segments. Multi-tasking was the focus of the day then. Doing projects and getting my sewing projectss done was important to me, so I found a way.
7. ENCOURAGEMENT
If you know me or live with me, you will often find me running into the other room to show my DH (dear Husband) or DC (dear child) what I’m working on. Sometimes I actually get a response from them. A useful comment or question. Other times, it’s just the “yeah, that’s great” or the “excuse me, you’re blocking my view”. Ahh well, what can I say?
Then there’s you all! You guys understand! You write such enthusiastic comments. I just love them! Even the comments that only have a word or two: “Neat” and “Looks good”. I try to comment too, when I’m out and about blog surfing or on Flickr. I must confess though, if a post or flickr upload already has 20+ comments, I usually don’t add anymore to it. I think it’s important to be one of the first to comment on something that moves me or I agree with. I want to encourage the person that did the work or wrote the article. I like the dialogue of a new post, before all the readers and blog authors have moved on from the topic.
8. DOWNTIME
Then there’s downtime. Sometimes it screams to be taken. I’ve got alot to say about this. Stay tuned!
9 comments:
i totally agree.....time is something we can never get enough of.....and i guess that's probably true for encouragement, too!! :)))
Time is my biggest drawback because, for some reason, in my head I think I need to allow a couple of hours to do any artwork in my studio. I'm trying to retrain my mind into agreeing that I can walk away and come back to something later if I split it up into 15 - 30 minute increments.
Great post!
Eden - What a great post! I'm a bit challenged when it comes to the visual-arts end of things ... the mother of all construction detours seems to be permanently erected between concept and execution. I have more luck - marginally! - with written pursuits, though, in terms of being able to create a real-life version of what initially crystallizes in my brain and my heart. And, to that end, your laundry list of things you need to be creative is spot on for me, as well.
I have at least one additional item on my list, however: My "bullsh*t detector", also known as my "enough with the excuses already-ometer". Life hasn't been a smooth ride for me for awhile, and there's always a good reason (or ten!) why I "can't" create ... why I should "wait til later" or why "I just don't feel inspired" or why I "don't have a big enough chunk of time right now". Or even "damn, I really should throw in another load of laundry". There's also the endless (seriously - endless) temptation of spending time surfing the time-suck that is the 'net and reading "just one more chapter" in yet another book.
So I need enforce a bit of a tough love program with myself; I have to recognize when I've become just one big, walking excuse. Lest you think I'm trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, or sequester myself into a squalid gulag of an office until I manage to pound out some semblance of text, that's not the case. I do, honestly, accrue a lot of happiness and satisfaction from writing. But the "fear of failure" is something that this perfectionist battles on a regular basis - yes, even if I'm writing something that no one else will ever likely see. Plus, sometimes it's tough for me to start writing; blank screens (like blank canvasses, I guess) can be incredibly daunting. But invariably - as with exercise - I feel better once I make myself jump into the deep end of the pool and start swimming already. As long as I just make myself write *something* (gotta love cut/paste/insert capabilities!), the words that I'm searching for usually start to flow.
GEESH ... I'm truly sorry! I didn't mean to make this all about ME, ME, ME or blather incessantly in your space. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your post and how much your work makes me smile, and thank you for popping over to my little corner of the blogosphere with your kind words. HAPPY FRIDAY! :-)
I've never realized how much time gets away from one before. I used to embroider as a kid and I remember hours of carefree creativity.
I look back at that and marvel with the silly things that get between us and our muse!
~Anne
Yes, it seems we all struggle with the time factor! But I bet each one of you is always making time for the important people in your life. Well, I'm here to say you are IMPORTANT PEOPLE too. Make time for YOU.... if all you can squeeze in is 15-20 minutes, do it! I believe you will see the dividends!
"New 30", you cracked me up with your "BS detector" I think it's funny how creative I can get just to get out of doing that last something to finish off one of my projects!! You have a wonderful way with words! That should never be underestimated!
I'm enjoying this little group of posts you're doing about creating.
And you asked me if I ever burned soup....well, believe it or not but last night just before I read your comment, I did burn soup! I was trying to make some lentil soup and I cooked it dry and burned the lentils! From now on I'm staying out of the kitchen!!
Janet, that is too funny! I'm sorry that your soup burned, really....
I think when God was giving out the "cooking gene" we must've still been in the "art" section!
When you know what you need it's a lot easier to find it, right? Love your 3 of 3, and that first colourful mandala (?), it's beautiful. :-) I adore rainbows.
Love this post and the conversation too! Hmmmm . . . you know that you're an artist when you use your oven and pasta machine for polymer clay, and new sponges are for making new backgrounds, etc. LOL!!! Hugs, Terri
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