I have been moving really fast lately. Faster than my normal speed. My mind has been full of creative thoughts and creative deadlines. It is almost as if there is an invisible taskmaster demanding me to create something amazing “right now” and then following up with “I’ll be back in ten hours and it better be done”. But the voice pushing me forward is a gentle voice. It is very calm. It is very positive. And it is my own.
And I am listening.
The higher the pressure, the calmer the environment I stage around me. Even when deep down inside I am afraid that I won’t be finished or I worse, that it will not turn out the way it is expected to, my inner voice is so assuring. I mentally say to myself, “that is the straightest line” or “you do that so well” or "great. now lets do this. almost there.". It sounds silly, I know. But it is effective.
In my studio, I set up an environment that makes me want to create. Before I start, I clean, stock, prepare and entice. I was recently working on a collage that required lots of sewing on paper. I threaded about 16 needles and had them all lined up like racecars ready to take off. I looked at all that colorful thread and could not wait to get started.
Take a closer look. I wrote on a desk calendar "almost there-such a long journey." A few gentle words I had written just before my big installation.
I had to really think about the process that I am using instinctively to push forward in my art. Because I need this same process to soothe and calm me outside the studio too.