The irony of "drawing a blank" for a visual artist is that 'blank' means you haven't drawn anything at all.
There are seasons where I hit a stride as an artist. I have a lot of creative insights, I'm working a lot, have commissions to finish... but that season is not happening at the moment.
Instead, I lie in bed wondering what I should get for a friend's birthday, create a grandiose plan to re-upholster an old chair with my novice sewing skills, dawdle over two-day old funny pages, plot the death of squirrels that eat our tulips, and contemplate going to Walgreens.
Maybe artists starve because of this "drawing a blank" syndrome more often than they languish with undiscovered talent. My college professor called me "haptic", which apparently meant that unless I was really feeling the art there was no point in coming to class. This is a dangerous allowance to give any student, much less an eighteen year old who already thinks too highly of herself. It's also a dangerous adjective to carry in your mind when you're attempting to make a career as an artist.
Maybe my next post should be called "Discipline: the way to overcome being a haptic artist".
Off to Walgreens...
There are seasons to everything. You may think you are drawing a blank; in fact, you're being inspired. Like your endangered tulips, there's a lot going on under your surface that isn't ready to break through. So allow yourself some slack, get on with developing your sewing skills. One way or the other, you will be productive. I have found inspiration in the oddest places; perhaps you will too. Currently, I am not knitting or crocheting or cooking much. Maybe it's spring. Just don't have the drive, but I know I will have. All I need is to see an intriguing yarn, or a recipe that peaks my interest and I'll start up again.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent first installment of lime green thoughts, my dear. I wonder if there is such a thing as a haptic engineering consultant? Hmmm.
ReplyDelete