Inspiration Fridays! Downtime is a great way to discover what’s next.

Downtime is a great way to discover what’s next.

Pine branches are scattered across the yard. The green bin is full and my hands are a cracked desert. The new old house comes with plenty of opportunities for projects and side work.

“The spaces between stars are where the work of the universe is done.” – Ivan Doig

The alumni-only Figure painting workshop is starting this Monday and I can feel the energy for it percolating. The ideas are bubbling over for October including an open studio and a brand new workshop!

So when Naomi got home from work and caught me with clippers in hand, she wondered aloud why I was still toiling in the yard instead of at the studio.

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?“

Unfortunately for many of us creatives, the real answer is that a lot of our work may not look like work to the rest of the world. It may even be hard for our loved ones to understand the process. Sometimes this misunderstanding can leave us second-guessing ourselves. And that can lead to a kind of self-doubt that has the potential to stop us cold before we even get started.

 

8paint Inspirations Fridays Downtime is a great way to discover what's next

Driving with the windows open and the sound of the road.

The creative process isn’t linear. I rarely stumble into the answers to big ideas when I’m staring at a blank canvas in the studio. I’ve tried to force the issue, pushing paint around in hopes of an epiphany. Sometimes the muse is kind, and a painting emerges, but incessant productivity can be pretty hit-and-miss.

The magnitude of infinite possibility can feel overwhelming. And for artists, that infinite possibility is with us every day. The aha moments and big ideas don’t always show up on demand. How do we discover which impulse to follow? Which direction to go?

Working in the yard, cleaning the pool, or taking a run on the trails near my house, occupies my conscious mind with familiar tasks and rhythms. These meditations make room for the real work of creativity to step forward and take center stage. Somehow, when my conscious mind is distracted, it gives room for creative ideas to begin fleshing themselves out in my head without the pressures of “What are you working on?“ or “Is it done yet?”

Activities that separate our minds from our tasks can be hugely useful for creatives and artists.  Taking a long drive or standing in the shower until your toes are pruned can sometimes be more productive, than days of mandatory brainstorming. (And more enjoyable)

I’m not saying that we stay lost in daydreams, but allowing for some downtime is a great way to discover what’s next.

 

 

What rituals do you use to turn off the chatter?

Has time away from your project ever brought a new perspective?

Does downtime help your creativity?

 

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Inspiration Fridays! Are You Still Learning what You’ve Learned?

Are You Still Learning what You’ve Learned?

Watching my friend Cliff come in through the doors of our studio every day to work was even painful for me. The man moved slowly… deliberately.

“That could be great if you used a two-inch brush.” – Clifford Wilton

After dawning his paint-encrusted shop jacket he would sit down at his table, and begin drawing black and white thumbnails on scrap paper with a sharpie or flip one of his paintings upside down to experiment with a new composition. Leukemia, a double case of shingles, and a bit of skin cancer followed him daily to the job, but he was undeterred. With the exception of a couple of doctors appointments, he rarely deviated from this ritual and regularly beat me to the studio to start the day.

From time to time I would hold up a meticulous painting and ask what he thought.
“That could be great if you used a two-inch brush.”
It was almost always some iteration of the same reply. Why bother asking when he obviously didn’t understand what I was trying to achieve with my painting?

 

8paint Inspiration Fridays - Are You Still Learning what You’ve Learned - Different variations on a compositional theme - Clifford Wilton

Different variations on a compositional theme – Clifford Wilton

The best lessons aren’t always learned while they’re being taught. You may have heard the saying “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” It’s true enough, but I’m not sure that the student always knows that they’re ready, or that their teacher has arrived. I shared a studio with Cliff for over 10 years, and it wasn’t until after his death, that I began to realize the full impact that his presence and example had on my work.

Many of my breakthroughs have come years after a friend, mentor, or teacher planted the seeds of the idea. My brain buries these nuggets deep in the mine of my subconscious. Once the trap is set, my mind will nibble on the cheese for a long time before the new idea snaps into place. It may appear from the outside like the ideas presented have never landed.  But for me, some learning takes a long time to digest.

Clifford Wilton

 

How many times have you discovered the lesson in hindsight?

Have you had a mentor who plants the seeds of ideas, but leaves you room to discover them for yourself?

Are you still learning what you’ve learned?

 

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Inspiration Fridays! Do Your Art

Do Your Art!

Yesterday was busy. Almost every minute was scheduled out. And then somewhere along the way, I realized that I needed to put all of that scheduling aside and go with my gut.

“We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.” – Arianna Huffington

Yes, it helps to prioritize and schedule. But creativity doesn’t always play fair. The muse was calling on the other line and I had to take it.

This was my first opportunity to work with Sophia. She came to sit for a portrait and in just under three hours I had three paintings and a half a dozen sketches. They had a fresh energy that only comes when we listen for the whispers of inspiration, and respond. I left the studio invigorated and inspired. By the end of the day I still managed to tic off all of the boxes on my list.

 

Inspiration Fridays Do Your Art Portrait of Sophia Oil on Panel 18x24

Portrait of Sophia – oil on panel – 18”x14”

As artists, it’s easy to rationalize the many reasons why our art doesn’t deserve our time. Responsibilities, loved ones, “real work“, etc. Still, if we let this kind of justification go too long, it’s surprising how little we really have to offer our world.

Give yourself an hour or even a half an hour each day to create. Honor that time as sacred, it will recharge your battery. Justifications can disguise themselves as altruism. Good reasons to put yourself second. It just doesn’t help anybody when you don’t honor your creative path. That path is a huge part of who you are and what you are here to give.

The next time you do something that inspires you, notice how the rest of your day feels. Do you have more energy? Do the chores and lists seem to go by faster? Did dinner make itself? Big generosity comes from living an inspired life. Do your art!

When do you put your list on hold?

How do you show up when you’re tapped out?

When do you do your art?

 

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