Blog
Surrounded by Zippos
9/18/2024
A spark can be defined as an "incandescent particle," which sounds super cool but harder to spit out when you're using it to represent a fraction of a fraction of an idea. "Wait, wait, wait...I've got an incandescent particle! I know what I need to do."
Lately, over the last couple of weeks, it's been dark. No sparks, no ideas. I found myself dropped into a situation I was wildly unprepared for. Faced with uncertainty in nearly every direction, my art practice was pushed firmly to the outskirts of my capabilities. The end of each workday found me overwhelmed and underfed (the latter was utterly my fault.)
Yet, it's in those times where the passions, the practices, or the possibilities that you can see ahead are the key to finding a way out of the dark. That spark of creativity flashes just to the side of your periphery. That playful "incandescent particle" blinks like a beacon for you to follow.
The absolute best part is you never know where it will come from. You may hear a song on the radio while driving home from another doctor's appointment. Perhaps it's a turn of phrase you read in that book on your nightstand during the handful of minutes you manage to read before giving way to exhaustion. Or, maybe it's an email from one of the multitudes of mailing lists you're on, dropping inspiration and illustrations in your inbox each morning (and for me, that's precisely what it was. Thanks, Kesh!) So keep your eyes open. Remember that the darkness lies. It wants you to believe it goes on forever, but right behind the dark is a universe of sparks shining brightly, waiting to be seen.
Habitual Behavior
9/16/2024
Habits are one of those things that cut both ways. We've all had our share of bad habits, and likely still have them today, while good habits are more challenging to come by and harder to keep. I love art. Truly and deeply. I love what it represents, how it communicates, and how it feels to create it. So why is building the habit of making art hard?
I used to believe that the best method of starting and keeping a good habit was to take whatever time and energy one of your bad habits is currently using and flip the switch the other way. Two birds, one stone. That hasn't proved true. Even when in my best creation flow, my bad habits find all the time they need. Then I feel worse when that motivation to make art ebbs because I tell myself I could've done so much more.
So, here I am again, trying to put my foot on the pedal of progress. Focusing on all the opportunities I have in front of me instead of all the ones I left behind. Climb in if you like and join the ride.
Artist Referral: For each post, I will drop a link to another artist I follow (or sometimes idolize.) This week's choice falls very much in the "idolize" category. His work is kinetic and inventive, and I can't get enough of it: Ramirio Clemente