Things dawn on you, fall into place, make sense, scare you, and ultimately exhilarate and exhaust you when you are in the creative zone. And still, the methods of the Artist's Way are the best that I know to get into this kind of state. And it is sooo worth it! So repeat after me: self-care, treat yourself as a precious object (like you mean it!!), think highly of yourself, dream big, reach for the stars. Weed out the old, make room for new. Wish and ask for help.
Remember that Einstein quote I was handing out last year at the AW groups? It said something to the effect that if an idea at first doesn't seem absurd it will not work, or isn't a good idea - or something like it. Personally the way ideas shape up for me, the word is RADICAL. If I have an idea that seems radical at first, bold, daring, prohibitive - like something that I would have to muster a little courage to do it - that in my experience is where the gold is. Literally! I do want to make money with my art - no kidding. These are the ideas you want to nourish close to the vest for a little while and then jump like a cat for the bird and put your hands on it and just do it.
A lot of times in the creative process - my experience - it means destruction of something existing. Every creator will know the process of using some of your own work from some time ago and cutting it up to recycle it. This is a constant, ubiquitous process. Its death and resurrection, ashes and phoenix, shiva and shakti - whatever system you look at, the principle of creation is linked to destruction.
Every phase of artist's way growth you go through is a destruction of your existing self, you or others will think: I don't recognize this person. She/he looks different, acts different, loses weight, dresses different, does different things, hangs out with different people - all sorts of things may happen. It is change at an accelerate pace. It is also change initiated and desired by you - hopefully different from change that comes into your life experienced as fate. Because you are engaging consciously into the process of your own life. You write the pages. You kind of know what's going on. (Remember the C.G. Jung quote of how things are experienced as fate if not brought into the consciousness).
Coincidence will play a role, but you walk around with a sense of expectancy anyway, keep your arms wide open and stuff and people will fall into it. Stretch! And yes, you will be different and you will be somebody else if you grow into your dream and start living like your dream is already a reality. If you dream of living in a castle - start living as if!!! and see what happens. One of the "how to be an artist"- tricks I like is from Joseph Beuys: "Imagine yourself enchanted". Even if only for the day. That's it for today folks, have fun out there, go hug a tree, feed the birds, and scare yourself with things you have not done before!
And yes, it doesn't happen over night. Patience and reckless speed go together as siamese twins. I started the Artist's Way some 6 years ago ... I start to forget when it started. Maybe it started when I was 3 years old.
Oh, and yes, I also credit quartz bowl sound healing with Karen Marcello for fine-tuning the compass to find truer and truer shades of what my dream actually is.
You have some cool stuff on here. Come and visit me too soon.
ReplyDeleteCheers.
I visited and was blown away by all the creative fashion on your blog! And you have a competition too, just like me:)
ReplyDeleteLet's participate in each others competition :)