"Art is a war - between ourselves and the forces of self sabotage that would stop us from doing our work. The artist is a warrior".
Steven Pressfield 'The War of Art'.
.The thing about being an artist, is we are constantly creating in our minds. The thoughts about the making never stop. So even though I am not at work in my studio as much as I'd like, I still feel like I'm busy creating, my imagination is a wild place of unfinished paintings, photographs, jewellery, writing, garden spaces, business ventures, arty outfits and more! A true daydreamer!
Even better than that, when I logistically can't be in my studio (as is the case now for the last two years), I have other outlets that fill my creative cup - cooking and gardening being two of those.
This month I have been in the garden, sowing in the greenhouse to get ahead of the coming spring planting, I have been baking with my little lass and I've picked flowers that dared to open up here in the hills, to arrange artfully in spaces.
There are also contrasty elements of an artists life that deplete creativity. These include, but are not limited to; general motherhood-related-exhaustion, a nasty flu, late nights, too much device time, not enough physical movement (no walks in nature!), questionable nutrition and general overall self abandonment...
This last month I have abandoned some good practices and I ended up getting my first flu of the year and I managed to block all pathways to my desk to make art with every other thing.
Now through my glazey, hazey tired eyes and sniffly nose I am reminded -
'Do not abandon wisdom and she will protect you, love her and she will keep you safe'.
I'm not sure of the origins of that quote, I came across is 20 something years ago. It has been transferred from visual diary to visual diary and has been stitched into art pieces over the years as a reminder to do the next right, wise thing and to not be distracted by the temptations that lead to self abandonment, even though it can feel like a battle to be disciplined enough to say No, turn off the device, go to bed early or to sit down to do the work.
Basically sometimes, oftentimes, the contrast reminds us of what we DO want; how we want to feel, how we want to spend our days, what's good for us and what isn't. Sometimes I need a reminder to get back on track, to put a wedge in the habit of extreme procrastination and to choose to look after myself and my creative cup first.
I've had my phone notifications off for four days, I've slept, sat in the sun and I've battled through the resistance to start and now I have some new pieces on the way.
Thanks October for the feverish lesson! Now it's time to sow...
NG x