Continuing along my little theme of last Sunday’s Anecdote, I am going to chat about how I like to “play the field” and keep the pressure off when I dive into “creative mode”. As I touched on last week, I like to go into a creative session with both an open and trusting mind. I simply open my sketchbook to a page that has been left unblemished and grab either a pen or pencil and let my art take control over the page while my ego and I sit back as an intrigued and curious bystander. This openness and willingness to create absolute shite really help take off the pressure of an exploration and allow the surroundings and environment to subtly seep in and embed themselves in my creation, Music being a very decorated player in this regard. Oftentimes, if I am not feeling particularly inspired on the day or the moment, I will find a random playlist on Spotify and hope to the Gods that it isn’t complete trash. Next, I will pick up my pen and find a scrap paper in one of my notebooks that has no further purpose in my life, grab a pen and start moving it however it decides to move about on the page in a continuous line, never lifting the pen from the page and waiting until my mind says—yeah, you’re done now.
It’s like playing Tinder (or whichever is the new big dating app) you are just swiping through your ideas and options before you are ready to give it a go. It’s a fun little exercise that loosens me up and lets me release my ego so I can just create without a little devil sitting on my shoulder squawking about each and every line I create. There is no expectation of perfection, or even brilliance— the image that appears on the page is usually some sort of a face or person with a tinge of an “Adam’s Family” facade... Either way, the tone of the creation definitely mirrors the tone of the playlist—groovy, spooky or moody!
Once I feel relaxed, or if inspiration strikes hot, I will switch the scrap paper for my sketchbook and continue to play around with different ideas that form on the page. There are many pages that I have erased and redrawn on in my sketchbook if I have drawn something that is nothing or does not actually interest me. I think it is important to the creative process to acknowledge and realize that not every piece that is penned is worth saving, sometimes it needs to be discarded from your mind to allow for the next great idea. I consider these pieces to be like the one-time dates you went on where ya just did not care to have the person repeat their presence in your life. You went on those dates because you had the chance to hit it off but after it was through you realized (and accepted) they weren’t for you. There is no harm in allowing yourself to forget them and move on. Let go of the attachment of the piece you created, yes it was time given but it isn’t worth giving time.
This ideal not only allows me to recreate a page into something that I like but also keeps me continually willing to look at pieces that I like, but don’t love, and continue to add to them until I think that they are ready to go out into the world to look for their new mate. This is what allowed me to create my original Mountain Mama, by melding together two of my ideas that were completed two years apart is what created my most popular lady.
This cathartic release of whatever slightly spooky creature that is hiding within my pen often times allows me to be able to then create fun and whimsical pieces that are steeped in humor and swirled in color. By releasing my attachment to the need for a beautiful outcome I am able to have so much fun with creating my art. I am able to play and lose all sense of time and self. The willingness to suck, to put my heart and ideas out there and the commitment to letting go of the pieces that don’t have a greater part in my sketchbook but holding on and working on the ones that transform into original works is the beauty of creating art. It’s the beauty of allowing yourself to date your creative creations.
Thank you so much for tuning into this Offbeat Anecdote, I hope you have enjoyed it and might try to sit back and try a similar process to see what happens with artwork of your own. I hope you will come back and join me next Sunday as well.
As always,
Keep it offbeat!
Comments