This blog is dedicated to remembering the reasons you do what you do. Fear not all ye creatives in a rut, for ye shall pick back up the pieces once thought to be lost with the ashes. Your creativity has always been there, and it always will be. I’m here today as the bearer of good news, of our creative revival. A story to muster new hope at the end of a long year. Read on, my friends… Ever since I could pick up a pencil, I dedicated each and every mark I made to tell stories – to share my experiences through my art. This changed when I needed to make a decision about what I was going to do with my career, and, after chasing down careers that would allow me to fit in nicely in society – law, medical science, the need to express myself, the way that came so naturally to me only grew bigger, so, after much trial and tribulation with my identity and world views, I pursued art and design. So, the reason I’m writing this post today is because I’m now getting paid to be creative, and need to confront being confined to a brief while maintaining my artistic integrity; The journey that I know many of you are already on, or preparing to embark upon. You are probably familiar with that urge to create, and the need to meet the brief of your clients, and in doing so, putting your ideas and creations on the back burner to stay on brief. (R.I.P) So, I’ll weave another story into this. If you’ve watched my videos before, you will know that I have ADHD. One of the characteristics that people with ADHD possess is called “hyperfocus”, and ASD for that matter, think Sam Gardner in Atypical when he is drawing. This is something that has enabled me to develop my design skills at an incredible pace but also has a way of sucking me into a vortex where I actually CANNOT stop. When designing for clients, this is fantastic, but if my creative energy is spent on projects that do not carry immense personal satisfaction, I have found myself bleeding my own creativity into projects that didn’t ask for it, and warping the brief to accommodate my own vision. So, what I have been doing for the past few weeks or so, is prioritising my need to touch base with my creative soul, to nurture what is the fuel for my career. In doing this, I found myself asking; “HOW CAN I SATISFY THE NEEDS OF THE BRIEF, WHILE REMAINING VIBRANT AND HONOURING MY CREATIVITY?” This question fostered another; “WHY DO THESE CONCEPTS NEED TO BE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE?” The answer is… They don’t! We need to make time to fuel the fire that burns as a distinct and vibrant career. Sketching, photography, writing, or whatever piques your interest - becomes the tinder for a lifetime of personal and professional fulfilment. I know when I started doing this, I needed to check in with my creative cup. As a result, In the last few months I’ve bought myself a film camera and started documenting my experiences in a new way. This practice has allowed me to slow down in my process and see the world through a different lens; (sorry) to step back, archive, savour and create a shrine to the art of creation minus the droll of mindless regurgitation.
We’ve all got our outlet, one that helps us get back into the flow of life, and when you create your inspiration, you have something to work with, which in turn becomes the driving force for waking up the next morning.
What would happen if you got that cup, filled it with water and dipped a paintbrush in it? That’s your decision, and the canvas won’t judge you for it. There is no client, just you and the joy you feel when you know this is what feels right.
SOME IDEAS FOR HOW YOU CAN RISE FROM THE ASHES:
May your ashes be made of charcoal, get your hands messy and create without judgement
get a cheap film camera and view the world from another angle, become a flaneur. (The flâneur carried a set of rich associations: the man of leisure, the idler, the urban explorer, the connoisseur of the street.)
Automatic writing: Write from the brain, word vomit, if you will.
Go out and explore: when we keep trawling the internet for whats already been created, we end up iterating what exists. We don’t need more of that.
Have an art jam, get all of your messy materials together with an excuse to socialise
collage: I keep a collection of postcards, clippings, and magazines that I use to make collages - not specific end point, just seeing what happens
Typographic interventions: Create typography from sand/food/water/bricks/anything you can find. leave it in situ, see what happens!
clean your space: this one is one I’ve done recently. I had a pile of stuff I didn’t want to deal with, because I knew it meant parting with some things, organising others, and getting nostalgic over past artworks/designs. What I found, however, is that I was teeming with ideas for new projects, and an appreciation for the time and effort I had put into the work that I had created, only to collect dust in the garage. Cannot. Recommend. This. Enough.
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful 2019, and if you’re feeling anything like me, you’re ready to slow it down to a dull roar and hit reset. Cheers for following my shenanigans, and hello to those of you who’ve just joined!!! What a crazy, eventful year it’s been, and I can’t wait to share my journey with you all in 2020!
Cheers dears
Josie
Comments