Blog

After writing on a regular basis for several months now I am noticing the same rhythm of creation that I have with my art work.  I am a much more practiced artist than I am a writer so painting does not have the arc of highs and lows that I am experiencing in writing.  Still the process of creation is similar from start to finish.

Inspiration:  An idea comes to you that seem so easy to articulate.  I am sure this will be a brilliant painting or blog.

Outline/ Study: This is the map of my idea.  This will be my rope to the original inspiration if I lose my way.

Writing/ Painting: The act of sitting down and working feels exhilarating and intimidating all at once.  How do you make an inspiration compelling and real?  With painting I usually begin with the largest shapes, and simple color values to see how the composition will work. With writing I begin with what I call word vomit - everything and anything goes down on the paper.   I will sift out the good stuff later.

Slog: The part I hate is when the work that had so much promise now seems like a muddled mess.  My brain starts going in different directions and I want to give up or start something new.  I usually walk away at this point knowing that space and time will give me a reality check.  On rare occasions the muse is kind and I avoid the slog altogether and skip to editing.

Return: When I look at the work with a fresh eye I am better able to judge its success.  Now I know if I should abandon ship or press forward.

Editing: When the main idea is fleshed out, editing becomes crucial.   In painting I take away anything that distracts from the visual story.  I look carefully at edges, choosing which are important and softening the rest.  More time is spent looking and thinking than actually painting.   In writing I sort and organize my thoughts and then go through each sentence to see if I can be more concise.  In both cases this means that a precious passage is often sacrificed.  While a paint stroke or a phrase may be pretty, if it distracts from the main message it goes out.   I continue to edit until the piece holds together as a clear representation of the original idea.

Release: This is where you call the piece finished.  It has usually fallen short of the original inspiration but I am satisfied that I have worked it to the best of my ability.  I review lessons that were learned which leads to new inspirations to follow.