Grit
When making any artwork or drawing, we don’t have insight into what we might end up with.
We don’t have a vision of our finished work, we only have an inkling - and the passion to carry on until we finish.
It’s rather like working in darkness until the light begins to come forth, shine through and eventually light up the room, lifting our spirits.
Making is a process, from the very first part of pulling out an empty canvas or sheet of paper - to the very last brushmark.
Trusting the process can be uncomfortable, frustrating even, until we try to make friends with it.
Sometimes we can lose heart, it’s normal.
My antidote to this is any or all of the following actions.
A good studio clean-up, placing items back into their nooks.
Drawing exercises to stimulate my hand, eye coordination and test my brain
A new audiobook
Repainting the walls
But occasionally, nothing works and it becomes necessary to close my studio door and walk away for a day or two. For me it’s often sleep, tiredness doesn’t help a flailing mojo.
I write this post to remind us that creativity is something we have to work for, it truly doesn’t come from nowhere.
Once we find our ‘in’ (a creative discipline we enjoy) we have to keep showing up for it to become our skill, our passion follows and it becomes our daily job - if we keep going long enough.
Much love and more soon
Sam x
