I wanted to write about something that's been happening for months now, how I've gone from making art every day to making it sporadically. A short break once in a while is a good thing. But when the break turns into something much longer, I have to take a long look at my practice. It's the first time this has happened and it was beginning to worry me.
I won't go into the litany of excuses I gave myself, or how deep down I wondered if I was just tired and jaded because it's not for lack of ideas but the lack of the energy that usually drives me. The point it, the more I don't make, the less I make and the longer I don't make - if you get my drift.
Then today this video came into my mailbox from Nicholas Wilton. It made me realize that I wasn't alone, and the solution was simplicity itself: Do something, anything, for a half-hour every day. Force yourself, if need be.
So this morning, I picked up a pencil and started drawing. It's always a good way to "move your hands", as my friend Lynn Whipple likes to say.
Now the trick is to continue. Some days I will have to force myself, knowing that soon I'll be back in the swing of things.
Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown
Best wishes to you-I do love your art, and I think your blog followers would never know it that you aren't creating everyday-it seems there's always something here to be inspired by. I have found even cleaning my studio helps get me back in the groove.
ReplyDeletei always have project sprouts in various stages of Being on my center stand up work table . So that is where i start when the lazies catch me. only today i have a birthday so i shall languish and eat ice cream some.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was to make sure you're not sick. I lose all creative energy with a UTI, and they don't manifest with the usual symptoms.
ReplyDeleteI'm making myself eat a packet of biscuits while watching Andy Murray on centre court at Wimbledon. Gosh it's hard work, don't know if I can last half an hour :-)
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