tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595824465393416133.post-13309858627359237662008-06-26T09:13:00.000-07:002008-06-26T10:22:53.655-07:00<span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"></span><br /><em><span style="color:#660000;"><strong></strong></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>“Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.”<br /><br /></strong><span style="font-size:78%;">~Tina Turner~</span></span><br /></em><br /><br />What makes an artist create?<br /><br />One just has to take a look at history to see that out of the millions of artists on the planet at any one given time, only a handful succeed in making a name for themselves. Very few indeed are a financial success. Many have been shunned by their families and society as a whole yet they still showed up at the easel and created very beautiful works of art.<br /><br />Creativity or at true creativity comes with one's ability to let go according to Ms. Turner. Being able to let go is no easy task. You would think that with years of experience it would be easier. But it is not.<br /><br />I hear many younger artists say "If I only had a studio I could paint" or "if I had more money I would be able to make more art". Having a studio never guarantees an artist creativity, nor does having money. What does guarantees creativity and success at is one's ability to be present in the now and the ability to let go.<br /><br />Part of letting go is getting rid of the preconcieved notions of what an artist is. There are no nice little labels or descriptions to assign to an artist. There are no standards of behavior nor of lifestyle. There is this nasty little myth that says an artist has to "suffer" for his/her work and what a load of crap it is. Why suffer when you'll get more done when you're not suffering? Once again suffering is just another lame ass excuse for not being an artist. No studio, not the right materials, not inspired...I must suffer before I can produce something really meaningful are simply excuses not to be creative.<br /><br />I tell people you just have to "do it". Spread some large sheets of plastic on your apartments floors and walls and just do it. Stake out your corner of a room and just do it. Work on your balcony and just do it.<br /><br />Nothing much has ever been achieved by just talking about doing stuff. You actually have to get your behind up of the couch to do that.<br /><br />Just do it....Bodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983725800744466360noreply@blogger.com