Skip to main content

From Procrastination to Production!

Why do you sit there when you have a great idea that wants to be made?

Oh, I know...you've got groceries to buy, the house to clean, mail to take to the post box, and anything else you can think of in order NOT to get to work. Why is that, and why is it that so many people suffer from the syndrome of procrastination?

I admit it...I have the syndrome too! Yes, I think up all sorts of things that have to be done before I 'feel comfortable' entering the realm of creative chaos to do the work. What is it that keeps me from immediately and excitedly jumping into that chaos instead of resisting it? Entering the chaos should be welcomed because that is where creativity thrives and where wonderful ideas are shaped and made into tangible works of art...it is the portal from invisible to visible!

I resist the potential for my own success by not heeding the call to eagerly and with all haste...jump in to that creative chaos. Then the idea that elicited my resistance quickly evaporates becoming a ghost of what at one time was possible.

Next time I have that urge, I've decided I'm going to take a different approach. I'm going to let go of the to-dos (including those I create to add as more distraction) and jump in to that creative space that requires flinging fabrics to and fro, stacking embellishments in temporary places, and having to scurry around for supplies because another inspiration just hit. Can being ok with chaos be fun, or made to be fun? Creativity tickles the spirit, so why shouldn't that creative zone be a fun space to be in?

I know that to jump into the creative zone right away would mean me being somewhat naked because I may not feel ready (sort of like waking up in the morning to an alarm clock), and no time is the perfect time to work in the 'raw', get dirty, and make a mess. But that is what doing the work is all about. I give myself permission to do so, and I give you permission too (if you are in need of it)!

Next time, eagerly leap into the creative abyss and shake, rattle and roll!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Introducing 'Kaleidoclown'

For fun, I've drawn one of my own photos (yes, I was dressed in a clown outfit) and added a wild and crazy background to accompany it for today's practice effort. As part of sketching the piece, it was split into four sections with two opposing diagonal lines.  In terms of color choices, I've worked with color gradations for some shape sections.  Can you believe, there are five major shapes in this effort?  There really are -- circles, squares, trapezoids, triangles and spirals. I think the substrate is Biengfang Watercolor Paper (140 lb.).  The materials used were Ohuhu markers, Micron 01 pigment ink pen, some red Stickles glitter glue for the nose, and a white Posca pen (for white dots on the face and to highlight eyes) and a yellow one (for yellow dots in the center of the flowers on the hat). There was no intention in working on this piece other than to have fun...and based on how it looks, I'd say well done!.   One thing I learned is that blending with the Ohuhus i

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

'The Creative Act', published just this year (2023), is filled with pearls of wisdom!  I've done one read-through without marking up the book.  But I will be re-reading it to digest it much more fully.   With so much in the book, I sometimes felt like I was hearing familiar voices communicating similar thoughts. That includes art course instructors, Ardith Goodwin and Louise Fletcher; words spoken by Goenka-Ji when leading Vipassana meditation retreats; and books by others.  Some of those authors include Brene Brown, John Cleese, Lynda Barry, David Bayles & Ted Orland, Cat Bennett, Austin Kleon, etc.  Without a bibliography or reading recommendations list, I'm really curious about the breadth of reading done by the author.  What/who were his favorite books/authors?  How did he develop his insights into the creative process?     The book is well-suited for marginalia.  If you're wondering what that is, it is writing in the margins to restate what you've read,

New Project in Progress

I'm working on a new project with multiple layers and shapes of different colored organzas.  It is an interpretation of lighting on an ice rink...from a show I recently saw.  There is a lot more stitching to do, but I like how its coming along.  I'm learning organzas are not easy to work with especially when you layer them and have overlaid edges.  The fabric also tends to ravel easily. This post also linked to  http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com .