outflows and inflows of creativity

Saturday, July 21, 2007

When Your Muse Takes A Vacation

I'm in trouble. I have art to do, and can't seem to get going. I know it's in there somewhere, after all I do call myself an artist. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway. And horror of horrors, today I seem to have a waning desire to do any art at all.
I even made a list of what I needed to get done today.
A. I needed to get started on my next piece, which means I
1. Need to get some sketching done, which will help me to
*Work out composition, viewpoint
So on and so forth.
What I got done so far . . .
1. I woke up
2. I had Cheerios
3. I had coffee
4. I did yard work (in Amazon forest- like humidity)
5. Went to The Grocery Store.
Now I'm stuck. earlier in the week, when I was shackled to something else, all I could think about was having today to get to my pencil and brushes. Oh Joy! I thought, I will be able to produce like mad. I will ride the wave of boundless Creativity! I will soar to the heights of Inspiration! Yeah, right.
I am learning, though, that this happens to everybody. The trick is to go on and make yourself take up the pencil. I have, and though it took me doing some warm up work to get going, I did get going. I haven't completed what I thought I would, but making the attempt will carry you further than not making any attempt at all. Having said that, there are times when you just need to relax and give your muse time to catch back up with you. Sometimes you just need to do something else for a while, give your mind a little rest. The more you create, the more in tune you will become with your own unique rhythm. Like waves on a beach that come in and recede, yet the ocean itself stays constant.

4 comments:

Ebb Tide said...

Just blog hopping and discovered your site through The Artist. I am an artist too, and I always take a short or long vacation to be inspired. Soon, I can hardly wait to get back to my easel and paintbrushes. I just posted a painting I did while on a trip. You might like to check it out.

harriett said...

Hello Ebb, thanks for commenting. You have a nice way of adding light in your painting. And yes, I think I need a vacation to reboot myself!!

Jean Bourque said...

Okay...Get going & look at your old sketches; paintings; art mags; art websites; listen to awesome music... fill your water bucket; unwrap a fresh canvas...get your graphite...are you on a roll yet?!
Put all your paints out; every single color; get your brushes out....Go for it!

NOW; if you have a certain thing you have to paint or draw and you just can't get into it...start with whatever the muse wants and go with that; once you get that free flow going; it's so much easier to start on that required subject matter. LOL!
If you still can't get going; go to my blog; look at the accepted artists for the Saluda Shoals show; click and see their work...
at http://artsails1.blogspot.com
Have a great time;
hugs; Jean Bourque
www.jeanbourque.com

harriett said...

Thanks Jeanee! And sometimes we need artist friends to deliver a good old fashioned kick in the pants!! Fantastic advice - I feel my muse coming back.