I don't know about you, but I have a certain way of doing things when my creative spark comes to visit. For one thing, I don't like to be interrupted! My mind is open, my thoughts are racing, and it's as if I'm tapping into this energy from outside of myself. I know this current won't last indefinitely, it has a very short life. I can't give any attention to ANYTHING else, or my creation can be lost. I think this is a reason artists are misunderstood, or they seem grouchy, dreamy, or aloof. We live in our minds. People talking during our creative time is highly irritating, and interrupts our flow. I liken the process to the act of building a fire. That creative spark is the first moment of inspiration. I need the spark to start the fire of my writing. I blow on that spark, gathering more flame and heat. Thus the main idea of a poem or musing is born. The actual bones of my writing, or the structure, is the kindling I add to the fire to make it grow. The most important part of this process is to not let that quick burning heat go to waste, or fizzle out.My creation cannot die out. I then add the logs that enable me to flesh out my work with more thoughts, vocabulary, and feeling. The heat is intense. When I finish successfully, I can rest and read over my opus. I then let the fire mellow into glowing coals, and sigh with relief that I was able to capture my spark, and put it to paper.
When painting, My spark is actually more of a great idea that needs to swim in my mind's eye for awhile until I decide how the design, and arrangement will look. Then I either start to paint, or I wait for the moments when I feel the need to paint. Either way, I then channel that picture in my mind to the paper. It's even more crucial to not be bothered during artwork, because a painting will often go unfinished for a time, or I may never be feeling it enough to ever finish it. It dies before it can be seen. I sometimes keep the art to myself when unfinished, because it seems to lose some magic if I show it too soon. Conversely, I show my art in stages of being created, to give myself an audience who will hold me accountable to finish it, because they'll ask about it!! Moods and modes if you will.
I know that because of the way my creativity flows, my media choices have to be quick. I enjoy watercolor, pen and ink, and colored pencil. I'm trying acrylic, but I'd never finish anything if I had to paint in oils! I choose writing poems, essays, short stories, and musings. This way, my fire can burn bright and fast, and convey emotions and thoughts that are saturated. Each item I produce can have a life of its own when finished.
Please comment below, and tell me about your creative process. Is it similar to mine? Is it completely different? What else do you have on your mind?
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