An artist friend of mine who knows me pretty well, both on a personal and a professional level, reminded me a few weeks ago how much happier I am in myself when I stick to a routine as far as days in the studio are concerned. It’s on such days that the creative work gets done, after all. The work I mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, took literally minutes to put together and despite being composed of just two found objects, is to my mind, the best piece of creative work I’ve made in a while; this in itself, made me feel very happy.
Knowing how uplifted I can feel by the making and completion of new work, means that I do recognise the importance of being in the studio and getting involved in making art on a regular basis. Obvious as it sounds, it’s true – as the saying goes – that the work doesn’t make itself. Keeping up the momentum for being actively creative then, feels crucial, just as having concrete evidence of producing new work, feels equally as important.
So much can get in the way if you allow it to – there’s always some excuse for not quite being able to make it into the studio. Creativity of course, can’t just be turned on like a tap – there are peaks and troughs in even the most successful creative practises. But the mantra ‘just do it’ is one that always returns to me. I’ve come to realise that however uninspired I might feel – however inadequate, bored, uncertain – it’s the keeping it going that’s important. Ironically, the writing of this blog has sometimes contributed to staying away from the studio; it’s easy to convince myself I’ve done an ‘art day’ if I’ve spent some time writing about it. And while I’ve come to accept that the writing to an extent is a part of my artistic practice, it’s equally as important to keep making the work.
And so, in the spirit of practising what I preach, I’ll go and focus my energy on trying to create something new…
