Developing the Creative Habit

“Dennis on the Colorado” detail by Maria Winner  [Isn’t this stitchwork exquisite?]

Whew!  While it’s hard to share these deeply held anxieties, once you can state your fears, you have the ability to examine and overcome them.  They will probably continue to raise their nasty head from time to time, but maybe they won’t have such sharp teeth.  For instance, I can look at my first fear “someone will have done it before” and recognize that all art has been done before… nothing is completely original.  My job is to breathe my own essence into my art and see what comes out of it.  I’ve largely tackled much of my fear of not knowing how to do something by taking classes, reading books, and watching tutorials… then by practice, practice, practice at the things I’ve learned.  So, you can see how getting in touch with your fears allows you to overcome them.

“Split Infinity” by Kathie R. Kerler Fiber ($750.)

4.  Look at your life and find out what’s distracting you.  What can you give up for a week?  Try picking a thing or two and not doing it for a week… use the time instead to focus on your creative endeavor.  When you give something up (a distraction) it clears time and mental space to focus.

5.  What is your creative ambition?  What obstacles do you have to meet this ambition?  What are the vital steps to achieve it?  If you don’t know where you’re going, it’s pretty hard to get there.  Think about and even commit to paper where you’d like your creative pursuit to lead you.  Do you want to be in art or quilt shows? Win them?  Have a solo show?  Sell your artwork?  Get your work represented by a gallery?  Begin with the end in mind and create a plan to get you to your dream.

6.  One way to get yourself in a creative space is to develop a ritual you do each time that it’s time to start.  This “triggering ritual” doesn’t need to necessarily be related to your art… just something you do every time you’re going to start.  Whether it’s brewing a cup of tea, doing some breathing exercises, taking a walk outside, looking through a book of inspirational artwork, or any other routine you can imagine, “by making the start of the sequence automatic,[you] make replace doubt and fear with comfort and routine” (Tharp p.17.)  By consistently using a ritual to start your creative process, you’ll find yourself more confident and self-reliant, as well as being able to access your creativity more quickly.

Detail of “Split Infinity” by Kathie R. Kerler

I’ve included a few more of the photos from the “Complex Threads: Students of Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts” exhibit.  I’m awestruck by many of these pieces.  But each of the 41 students who have pieces in this show have had to face the same challenges and choices you and I do every day.  They’ve made the choice to forge ahead and let their fears be damned, and practice their crafts until they have developed the skill which is evident in their work.

“The routine is as much a part of the creative process as the lightning bolt of inspiration, maybe more.” (Tharp p 6).   By choosing to commit to a regular routine, you are developing your creative muscle, and able to see progression in your artistic development.  This is exactly why I decided to start the 5 x 7 Artist Challenge.  For myself, I need to have a commitment and be accountable to someone (you, my readers) for keeping that commitment.  More than that, I’ve always loved to be a mentor and teacher, so hope that through my writings and example, I’ll help others of you develop on your own path.

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Complex Threads 1	Complex Threads 2	Artistic Goals 2013	2013 Artist  5 x 7 Challenge