I was asked a thoughtful question this evening. The question, “How do I get in the mood to do my art? By the end of the day I am wiped out. I miss indulging my creative side though.”
My response, although short, started an internal dialogue that might actually help keep me on pace. What I had said was that I think one of the greatest pitfalls of art discipline is to wait for the mood. Working in the graphics arts industry for so many years taught me that I had to work for the client by the clock and not by the Muse. As a result, I just start working and that turns on the flow. It may take a bit but it eventually kicks in.
The practicality of that model of discipline is something I had been brushing off for some time, telling myself that I work full time and come home tired and haven’t the energy to tap into any creative juices. The danger is that it puts a unrealistic burden of expectation on any work I would do, when I felt like doing it, to be more excellent and profound than is probable. The reality is that not everything I do is good and not everything flows smoothly but by pushing through the false need for Muse, I am gaining practice and discipline. Each time builds a stronger ability to ignore my natural tendency to whine and rationalize and that is certainly a worthwhile endeavor.
Kelly E. James 