I see a playground-variety see-saw in my mind. For it to work properly, both sides need to be equal, and even then, balance is precarious at best. But, if both sides are NOT an even match, they have to work extra hard going up and down, and up and down, pushing and kicking, to have any kind of fun. It's tiring work, and it's easy to give up.
Lately, this is how I feel:
And, to add insult to injury, I'm not exactly sure which guy I am. Both? (Though currently, the state of my jeans is causing me to lean a certain way...)
If you're an artist, chances are you're probably a little crazy when you give over to your inspiration. Yes?And it can be exhilarating and exhausting.
I came across this quote the other day:
"...it's the nature of art to yield. When you're an artist, you possess a drive, you clear yourself of it, you relinquish the outcome."
I love the idea that the act of making the art, is clearing yourself of it. I always feel better when I've made something and it vaguely resembles the idea in my head. I can get quite single-minded when I'm in that state. Is that drive? Maybe. But more often than not, I think it's just called dogged. (I love that word, dogged.)
dog·ged (dôgd, dgd)
adj.
Stubbornly persevering; tenacious. See Synonyms at obstinate.
I am definitely in the right line of work for dogged. (Okay, and maybe obstinate...) Glaze mishaps, crappy firings, cracks when you least expect them, even the amount of time needed to bring a piece to its proper fruition can be infuriating. Dogged implies not giving up, and stubbornness. Check, and check.
I have not written a post in three weeks. Three weeks!! I love writing my blog because it marks a place in my timeline: what was inspiring me, frustrating me, making me happy. Be assured, I haven't been napping. (Could someone define nap for me?) I have finished so many big, big projects over the last month. (And I promise to share next time...with pics!) But for now, even though I have lots to do, I need to make sure I at least TRY to find some balance.
I will doggedly TRY. Woof.
Nap? I think that's short for Not Applying Personality. Yup, I'm funny. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, not to apply your personality for a little while. But it's hard when you're dogged. Worse when you're obstinate! I hear you, girl! Hang in there! There is a world of not quite balanced people out there, singing along. I know it doesn't help, but it could make for a fun party ;)
ReplyDeleteSometimes a nap is a good thing though, right? I Love your posts. It is amazing when your art turns out the way you envision it to appear. Occasionally, it can be even better than you envisioned. I find it to be so incredibly difficult to start and stop the creative process. It frustrates m'e so much that I wonder if I should just forget about creating anything and just be become a toll booth collector (no disrespect to TB collectors, I'm jealous of their pensions). Balance is so very difficult to achieve as an artist, I find. Maybe that's what makes a person artistic in the first place?xoxoxo
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