Creative Blocks

The term "creative block" is well known among everyone these days. Less known is how to overcome our creative blocks. You'll see plenty of authors of books and blogs on how to "break through" those creative blocks. Over the years I have been admittedly blocked and I chased myself around for answers in journal-ling and hunted for books at the library or in bookstores, articles on-line etc. A lot of methods simply don't work. It's a lot like enforcing a strict diet or forcing a child to "play" something they don't want to.

I have thought on creative blocks to overcome my own over the years and I've learned that in order for a person to "break through" there are a number of things needed and to be done in balance.

The first is compassion. Without compassion, all of our efforts are hard edged and the animal instinct in us quite rightly so, will buck and kick at any effort to "force" anything. This can be the hardest part for all of us no mater where we come from and what we do for a living. Because compassion is the hardest for us to give to ourselves most of the time, it is in my opinion, the main reason why so many artists of any kind fail to overcome their personal blocks. All of us have very personal and unique ways of being mean to ourselves that have been taught to us by the culture and by our family. Without compassion, artists cannot deal with the predicament that they are in for being an artist at this time in history. This predicament is unspoken especially for isolated artists. Everyone has a subconscious understanding of how artists and craftspeople are perceived. Without compassion we are not able to put words to our deepest shame which by it's nature enforces silence and with that silence shame builds in strength.

The second thing that we need to do is self motivation and discipline. Self motivation is important for any artist. At some point in an artists or crafts persons life they will not have anyone who is behind them. Work is done alone and therefore we may not have a cheer leading squad to back us up. Or artists will most certainly be faced with a life situation which may threaten to eclipse their creativity. Self motivation and discipline paired with compassion act as a gentle but firm guiding hand through difficult times. Self discipline and compassion give us a steady endurance and energy to take on tasks that first seem overwhelming or intimidating to us and to commit our energy to doing them every day.

The third is a philosophy built around joy. Often artists and craftspeople become caught up in business and mainstream culture philosophies such as "achievement", "money", and "respect". We become overly concerned with being amazing geniuses as a way to compensate for deep shame for being an artist. We often feel we must always do better than ordinary to prove ourselves worthy for being artists enjoying ourselves while others are toiling at crap jobs sweating and bleeding at the brow. We often create value around anything that has had suffering or a process of denying the self of happiness in some form. We create martyr complexes instead of art because with this mindset we dare not practice. Everything must be a fabulous, genius and final, complete piece of work. We dare not have fun with markers and our sketchbooks. The philosophy of doing everything for the joy it brings isn't much different from compassion. It's difference is that it takes compassion further from caring for a broken soul to liberating and strengthening the soul with the utmost generosity. Again we are faced with shame. We need to live life for joy rather than suffering as a way to pay for our right to take up space in this world, to be here. It must be a daily mantra either written where we can see it everyday or something that we say to ourselves daily as part of our self discipline and compassion.

And the next thing that we need to give ourselves is knowledge of ourselves. Again compassion comes into play and self discipline to firmly guide ourselves to unflinchingly know who we are. It can take years for some artists to truly know who they are and what they are about. Until we know we will jump from one thing to another, changing our minds because we doubt our innermost callings and are trying to shut them out. We may want to trade in what we feel called to do for something that would be more acceptable to society or something that would create more financial stability. Obviously we are always being pulled off our center in one form or another. After some time we may come to the truth ourselves. That no matter what we do, it is a risk whether it's considered safer financially or looks better on paper. Once we know this we see that we might as well commit ourselves to our truest calling. We also may see that every choice we make takes energy and time. We may find that our choice might threaten to eclipse our calling which we had previously fooled ourselves into believing that there would be time for.

Trusting our instincts is another great asset for an artist. We would think that this goes without saying but often artists are led to believe that to get through their artistic blocks that they have to be led by the hand. The artist and crafts person is a person that needs to be in touch with their instincts supremely, more than anyone. To have our instincts restored to the fullest strength that they can be we must know ourselves. We cannot sniff out the best path for ourselves if we don't know where we want to be. We must consider our futures and look closely at our choices for where they will lead us. Is it where we want to be? We must also study the intentions we have behind our choices. With our instincts our awareness is sharp, seeing all of the details of our choices and where it will lead. Instincts come in handy where people are concerned which an artist needs to be aware of. We are sensitive. We care and feel because deep down we believe it is right and part of a thriving spirit. Yet it opens ourselves to pain. The pain from alienation and cold criticism from others. The pain of competing egos and self centered artistic rock stars hoping to eclipse every artist who crosses their paths. We can feel shame for not being able to get along with everyone or we can choose to trust our instincts about a person for not being good for our souls. Our instincts also guide us for how to stroke the canvas or paper or clay. Our instincts tell us how to move. Our instincts alert us to danger. Our instincts tell us our deepest wisdom that is innate. Even with training, an artists greatest resource is to still trust their instincts. Without instincts there would have been no growth and no discovery in any form of art, dance, fashion, technology. Instincts are following a hunch. The universal energy in which we live, if we believe in such a thing speaks through us to carry evolution on. There can be no evolution, no enterprise and discovery without instinct. We trust our instincts when we have true compassion for ourselves and when we know ourselves. We trust ourselves to know what is best regardless of what another may say or the dirty look they may give us. Pioneers of any new growth or movement tend to be alienated and shunned. Something about them or maybe many things rubs people the wrong way. The more different an artist is the more they are challenged to know themselves and to remain centered with compassionate awareness.

Artists need times of privacy. We mostly believe that artists are only valuable once their "product" is out there. Much emphasis is places on the business of art rather than the quiet and introverted moments of development in deep listening. Deep listening for any person, spiritual, artist or not requires privacy. Time and space for us to feel unseen and unexposed. A time when we feel completely alone. We must be able to love being alone, to love the patient process of deep listening to our instincts of what color to use, of how to apply it to what surface, of what words to write, what note to hit. When we are seen, we are telling a story of some kind, rather than creating it. Very often our deepest voice cannot be heard when the loudness of society if beckoning. When we must be performing. It takes a lot of time alone to develop centered-ness to be able to hear our voice when on display on front of others. This is why it can feel so naked for an artist to suddenly be drawing or painting, weaving or singing onfront of people or an audience. We need privacy to remember that we are doing what we do for the joy it brings. Art for the sake of it rather than for the sale or for the prestige. With privacy we are allowing ourselves a time to not perform, to not consent to being a circus animal dazzling a crowd with tricks. This privacy may involve a deep and quiet time of not showing art to anyone. Development needs an incubation period. It needs a time to exist unseen by the world while it builds it's strength to handle the outside world. An artist may go through this multiple times through their life rather than only at the very beginning. If an artist allows such growth then this creates an environment for an ability to begin anew. We often doubt the new callings if we have established ourselves fearing that we won't be understood or as "successful" as our previous artistic development. Privacy and solitude is sacred. We forget this in our culture which values extrovertedness. An artist needs to be seen and known and yet an artist needs that special space away from prying eyes and voices. These days we especially believe that success is found by selling ourselves all the time, over and over again. Making sure that we are heard and seen. After awhile an artist may burn out from this activity. They may feel it is hopeless because they then come to value their art based off of facebook likes, how many people have shared or seen their work. An artist can begin to develop a fear of being forgotten, unknown. We all define success differently. Many of us define success by being in a gallery or selling a lot of our work, attracting respect and being written about in articles for our work. Yet there are artists and craftspeople who are unknown and who are happy because they are doing what they love. There is no friction between themselves and the outside worlds. They simply do what they do and follow their nose. They create their goals but realize that attachment to a goal of success could lead them to joy or not. The goal of success may or may not happen and they understand that they can only do so much to control that. But they can control the quality of the experience that they have in life and in their art and their craft. You have a choice to see how may choices that you really do have. Choices are best seen in times of quiet and solitude in a room of ones own, in the woods, by the sea, in bed, in times of in between and in dreams. In our privacy our dreams are the center, the most important, the main event. In privacy we taste the texture of listening.

These are the things I have applied to my life. There are no hard and fast rules. They are flexible because each person is different. There can be no one size fits all approach to breaking through creative blocks. Each artist must act as shamanic healer and psychologist to themselves. We must know for ourselves who we are and what we need. What we need to keep and what we need to let go of. Whether it's ideas, beliefs, choices or people. We can do this for ourselves. We are artists and do not need to be led by the hand. It may feel that way at first if we have joined the ranks in tearing ourselves down, creating a state of vulnerability. But we can and we must find the healthiest ways to be strong and empowered, liberated all through our creative lives.

The Art of Frugality

So I haven't posted a pic of the painting I did a few weeks back and I haven't started on any new projects. Why?
1. Holidays are distracting.
2. Financial issues are distracting
3. Hard decisions to make are distracting

People can say that there is no excuse for not being a productive artist and in most situations I would agree. But in this particular situation alot of thinking and discussing and planning has had to go on.
First decision was how are we going to get rid of debt before EI runs out at the end of next year?

Yes I'm airing my dirty laundry because when your an artist it's not like you can go off skipping off into lala land with your yarn and your wool and your paints. There are a lot of decisions I have had to make and still some I am considering.

My first decision was to not get any parts for the spinning wheel I have and then I decided that I would take all of the money that I got back from leaving school would go towards getting rid of a card because that would mean saving approx $69 a month.I had gone back and forth on if I was getting parts or selling the wheel I have and I have decided to sell the wheel.

Second decision after this was turning off the heat in our apartment during the very coldest time of the winter here in Fredericton N.B. With the heater off and living in a small room with an electric heater and floor heater most of the time, keeping our cats and our bunny rabbit in the room to stay warm. Our apartment runs on ventilated heat with some rooms being controlled by electric heat. Luckily the bedroom heater has a controlled dial switch on it rather than for the whole apartment.

Third decision was to sell some of the supplies I got from the store at the school which I thought I would make use of. But at this point it will sit there because I only have part of what I need. The other issue is that all money should go towards expenses and debts etc rather than a bundle of yarn or two for a small project. As an artist there are start up costs.

Fourth decision was to not have prints or greeting cards done up of my work at a local business because that means money. Again start up costs.

Fifth decision I have yet to make. Do I sell my beautiful loom, my warping board, my books that came with them, the knitting machine, the extra parts and the books that came with them.

I am mostly leaning towards selling them.

But I will never sell the two guitars that I own! Not ever!

Most books written by artists and for artists are trying to teach artists how to be less frugal with themselves because making art of any kind is not seen as a necessity in this day and age. And whatever is not a necessity is a waste of time or perhaps a gluttonous sin. But those books are for artists that have everything they possibly need except their own permission to be an artist in order to do what they wish. Those books aren't for me because I give myself permission to do all of the things I wish, that I am good at and have an intelligence for but I do not have the means and I cannot trust that there is no end of the line waiting for me in the semi near distant future.

Artists can be purely logical and intelligent to make those kinds of decisions. It is a myth that artists are completely indulgent and so indulgent to the point that they can't see beyond the end of their paintbrush or studio. I have always known that homelessness is a very true reality to anyone including me. I am not and cannot be ignorant of reality, especially not with my yogic training.

So if your an artist scraping by like so many people are these days, whether they choose to be artists or not, do what you can and take comfort in the fact that this won't be a permanent situation as long as you are very very smart. You may have to make some sad decisions like I have. I will be sad to see my store of wool disappear out the door but I can get more someday and I can get a spinning wheel in the future. In the meantime I can still develop as a painter and drawer. And I can still post them here. That is what I have available to me.There are dozens of techniques and styles and I am not opposed to any of them. Abstract and real. It's all abstract and it's all real.

Intelligence is a choice in the game of life.

Use it before it's too late!

Finding Time and Balance as a Multi Disciplined Artist

I try to create time for my other muses that have been with me for years. Yoga, dance, music, painting and poetry are among them. Some weeks are not as successful as others for making time for them. It's an ongoing process and I take what I learned working at Winners in my early 20s to save time. Their strategy was to do actions that are similar at once to save on time. This is why when I am at school I take lunches and leave some for supper so that I can stay and do my school work. This effectively frees up some time for me on the weekend. Usually I have something that needs to be done that only needs a computer like research, doing up a document or making a blog entry. It's not just important to practice but important to have forms of inspiration such as books or taking time to study vlogs on youtube about abstract painting.

Today I was skimming through a book called The Everything Writing Poetry Book and there was a couple of passages that were particularly interesting near the beginning on pages 12-14.

I enjoy the section talking about allowing time for ideas to develop as a way of building stronger images and concepts.
Then it goes on to talk about Freudian and Jungian Psychology and the process that a poet has to go through of balancing the super egos expectations with the ids needs.
The superego symbolizes customs, rules, and laws that are handed down to us by parents, teachers and societies at large. The id represents our survival needs including the need to be authentic and express our innermost selves.
I reflected that any artist of any kind or any person would do well to find a balance between these elements. They are both needed and necessary but one over the other creates imbalance.
It's important to listen and take advice from mentors, teachers, parents etc but it is also wise to take those words with a grain of salt because another persons point of view is simply that. It is "their" point of view and more often than not exists inside a box, a vacuum.
All visionaries in history questioned the status quo and butted heads with people who considered themselves to be masters in their field. Later on though the small artists who rocked the boat went down in history as making a major impact on how our culture grew to be what it is in the present.
Just imagine what kind of culture we would have if every single artist of every kind did nothing but lap at their teachers and parents feet for approval. Nothing new would result, nothing genuine with integrity. The culture as a result would not grow. There are artists that whether the teacher, parents or society likes it or not will stand behind their vision and keep expressing as well as marketing it as a gem of importance.
After awhile people stroke their chins and say "Oh I see...."
I love learning new techniques and I am also in awe of learning how people throughout history had done things. But every artist has a voice inside that speaks to them of how it is to be done. And sometimes it hasn't been done before. Sometimes it's similar enough to what has been done that it's readily accepted.
Everyone has their biased opinions and preferences. A person can insist that their opinions are not opinions but an educated fact.
In my opinion they are still working through their own particular filter of perception. Something in their lives said "This is what is most important in art history and these are the best techniques, and this is the best form of art." The person has developed an opinion. They may not call it such simply because they have academia in a specific sector to back them up. A person across the world no less educated or practiced most likely has a completely different "opinion" and approach.
And that is after all what art is about. It is about the artists vision, unique form of expression and developing their own perception rather than that of others. The definition of an artist is not someone who does things to make other people happy. They do not busy themselves running around doing what everyone has told them to do because their way is the best and right way.
Artists evolve culture by expressing the current form of evolution that they inhabit.

What I Actually Do and What I Actually Did, Sept.13 2013

 

It's true people tend to have very generalized ideas about what artists do. 

This blog, Art and Creationz is all about what I actually do now, the skills I am developing at NBCCD, pictures of inspirational pieces and pictures of my pieces that I have made in the past that deserve some lime light.

Here is a needle felted piece in the process of completion. The vibrancy of the colors unfortunately have been lost in the photo. 

Here are ceramic pieces from my Chocolate and Creme De Menthe Series which I made at Turnstile Pottery Coop in Halifax N.S, August of 2011

Here are two pieces from my first year in the FVA program at NBCCD from the fall of 2006. The first is a ceramic relief tile and the next one is a slab and coil basket made by carefully pressing the pieces of clay and scoring the edges to mold to the next connecting piece on the inside of a newspaper lined metal waste paper basket.

Who says that you can only do one thing or that you have to choose right?