If God has called me to write, draw, dance, film, then why do I feel like it’s work? Shouldn’t it be easier? These questions have been posed to me in a myriad of ways in the last three years as I have been working with the artists of MDCC. From my perspective, it comes from the idealization, or spiritualization of what it means to be a Creative.
Yes, our new nature is created in the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Out of the new nature flows a river of creativity: a reflection of our Creator God. When we give ourselves permission to express that creativity it is like pumping an old iron hand pump that is taping into an underground stream. We press down and water slowly begins to flow. The more we pump the more water is expelled. And yes, it does require effort. To perceive the creative gift within you as something that should flow continuously with little or no effort as validation that it is truly from God is simplistic and shows a lack of depth in the understanding of the creative process. All artists work! Art is struggle. The struggle to improve on one’s craft, to find one’s voice, to explore an original idea is common to every Artist. The pursuit of these illusive elements is our fuel, our calling, our joy, and our mission.
Gene Fowler says, “Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.”
This is the opening quote in the book “Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking” by David Bayles & Ted Orland. It is my current fuel for thought and what I will be interacting with in this blog.
In this book Bayles, Orland, (and myself - here in this blog) explore the questions: What is your art really about? Where is it going? What stands in the way of getting it there? Here is an excerpt from the back of the book:
(The above questions) are questions that matter, questions that recur at each stage of artistic development - and they are the source for this volume of wonderfully incisive commentary. Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn’t get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. This is a book about what it feels like to sit in your studio or classroom, at your wheel or keyboard, easel or camera, trying to do the work you need to do. It is about committing your future to your own hands, placing Free Will above predestination (I would rephrase this as Free Will above an“overly spiritualized view of the creative process”) choice above chance. It is about finding your own work.
Consider this a formal invitation to join me both in reading this book and in commenting on this blog.
- Lisa
Link to purchase Art & Fear at Amazon.com
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Shouldn't This Be Easy?
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6 comments:
Well, I'm glad that I'm not a writer: (“Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.”). Drawing, painting, visual creation just takes place step by step. Start in a corner or at an off center "Hot Spot" and let it develop step by step. If necessary, you can let red blood droppings fall to the paper from the tip of your brush. But start by shattering that blank page and build a work of art ... step by step. Jim
Wow, you make it sound easy! For me that first step is always difficult. EVERY SINGLE TIME! Even now, getting back to finishing the painting that I left 1/2 done before the Ukraine . . . well put it this way. . . it takes courage for me to begin again. I don't know what it is that I press through --- perhaps a fear that I won't be able to "tap into that same flow" that I was in when I was painting before and so my piece will come out looking disjointed or incongruent. Oh well, tomorrow I will clean off my palettes and begin again. Once I start I know that I will "hit a groove" and be exhilarated again! The only solution that I've found to remedy this is to do a "warm up painting" --- one that I know I'm going to gesso over so it doesn't matter - just something to prime the pump. . . perhaps I'll try this for tomorrow!
Even though its difficult for me I whole heartedly agree with you that you have to JUST DO IT. You must start, must take that first step, then the second, and the next and so on. Art is not going to happen without doing the work, putting in the time, the hours, the concentration step by step, minute by minute, stroke by stroke, color by color, line upon line, precept upon precept. . . there is no magic. My painting will not finish itself. There are no "magic shoemaker elves" in my studio.
Your words are as good as your art... top notch. JUST DO IT! has the ring of a notable quote.
I find the first step in almost everything is the hardest. My mind gets in the way, along with doubt, lack of confidence in what I will produce--and yet when I step in, what I discover is that the concentration, the process, step by step, line upon line become the joy. Before I begin, I forget that I love the process, the being, the discovery.
Perhaps it's a bit easier if you consider it your job to be creative – as it is mine. The motivation to start is not totally dependant on me. I know that I must start because it becomes a matter of integrity before my employer and a matter of survival for my family. Complaining that I’m not in the mood or that I don’t know where to begin is really not an option. I generally have the opportunity to reshape my creation, but only after having done some creating.
How wonderful that your job is to be creative! That your motivation to express yourself creatively is ALSO connected with what you produce for your employer and tied to the income/survival of your family!
That is a blessing for you!
It is carving time out and away from these very things that often is the struggle for me - finding the balance of the priorities. Time to do what brings in my income and fulfills the demands of my job and time to "create", relate and meditate.
And yet when any of these things begins to take too much dominance --- I find myself looking for the answer. Going back re-prioritizing, trying to be more efficient with my time, trying to delegate more of my administrative and managerial responsibilities so as to "free up" more time. I know that I will continually work at this. Life is so full, and yet --- there is still time. I know that if I look, work things around - I can find it. And when I do, "Ah! The satisfaction and joy of creating!"
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