I don't have to remind you that we are living in a turbulent time. It feels like my emotions are getting tossed around on a daily basis. It doesn't matter if I am watching or listening to news, reading anything online or trying to escape into FaceBook hoping to be distracted by images of art, food and cute animals. The chaos and noise remain.
Here we are careening past summer and I'm still waiting for 2020 to begin. It's been more than 6 months of having life placed on hold and trying to figure out what the hell I'm suppose to be doing.
All of my plans for showing art at festivals and galleries disappeared. Creating an income from selling art didn't feel like a viable option anymore and I worried about my motivation. There really wasn't a need to worry but I did question myself more than once. I don't create art because I am expecting to be paid. I create art because I need to throw myself into the process of creating something waiting within to be expressed.
I seek refuge from the storm by stepping inside my studio which is a small spare bedroom. I close the door to keep the world out and put on some music, (anything from Bach, Patti Smith, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, bluegrass, Hu and Tom Waits. I light a candle and take a moment to be in that sacred place of sanctuary. It helps me focus on the act of creation and why I am in my space at that time and then I begin.
Once I have made the commitment to begin, I lose myself in the creative process. I am piecing together a puzzle with every image I choose for a collage. It's all pieces of myself that have drawn me in to making each choice. I shut down the rational, logical, and analytical side of my mind and let my muse completely take over. There are times I may try to argue but not many. It's all going to come out one way or another and I prefer it to result in a new work of art rather than sinking and disappearing into the sofa.
Taking that first step by going to your creative space and committing yourself to the process of art making will provide sanctuary. There is not any objective other than beginning. It can result in a work of art or it will be a fantastic release in practicing. There aren't any rules, restrictions or limitations. It's to get lost and let yourself be the art. It is never a waste of time. Let yourself go with the flow and see what happens.