Inspiration

It has been a day of awesome art finds.

Cleaning up the Imagination

As an artist that all too often feels a tremendous creative block, or dryness, I have been thinking lately about the importance of nurturing and protecting one's creativity. These days I find that at least 50% of the times I sit down to make something, I sit staring at the paper or screen, just as blank as they are. Everyone experiences occasional blocks, but I can't seem to shake mine. Sometimes I can even see a sliver of what I am seeking, but can't quite reach out and take it. So what's wrong?

Inspiration flows from within, usually prompted by external stimuli, often entirely dependent on mood and surroundings. If there is too much distraction, too much information to parse, not enough time to make a note of the vision, the creative moment might be lost forever. Now, I fundamentally disagree with Rilke's advice to the young poet, where he advocates for isolation, loneliness---freedom from the distractions of other people and society in general. I would argue that the richest beauty and creative expression comes from engagement with others, in the sharing of lives, experiences, and ideas. It may be true that when it comes time to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, one needs some peace and quiet to get it done, but being a loner on purpose can only end ultimately in dark and narrow thoughts. That said, I think something that may be too often overlooked is the need to care for one's daydreams, to protect them and nourish them with good things, not bad or indifferent. I think this may be part of my problem. What do I mean?

Take as an example a person who gluts on really crappy comic books, but has the ability and vision of a truly great writer. Or an artist who could draw beautiful children, mothers, fathers, who is looking at pornography. How are they going to fight through the fog of their choices (or lack of) and create something beautiful? Less dramatic examples could be people more like you and me, who are slogging away at jobs that are less than inspiring, constantly worrying 'all that stuff that has to be done', too tired to ward off lame movies, mediocre TV shows, and too much time on Facebook.

We can't be great all the time, but it seems to me that taking time to meter and guard---to judge quality and appropriateness---of one's intake of info and media, challenging oneself to read and watch things that are actually really good, and perhaps most importantly, listening to our instincts about life and human experience, would do us worlds of good. Don't let the Digital Age destroy freedom of thought. Don't let the baseness of the world blot out what is worth expressing. Don't let distraction or weakness of will keep you from making good things.

This is pretty awesome!