THE LAWS OF CREATION
In truth, there is no block on creating, except for the thoughts you may place between you and the act of creating.
Many years ago, when I started painting, I was attracted to a number of abstract artists. From spending hours and days and weeks and months looking at their work, I formed some guiding principles.
I didn't formulate these principles as hard and fast rules. I didn't consciously formulate them at all. I did, however, absorb and understand what was, for me, a path.
I think these "guidelines" would be useful for anyone. And I'm not just talking about painting. I'm talking about any activity, from business to relationships to quests to inventing futures you desire:
1. You don't need to create something that resembles what is already around you.
2. You don't have to copy reality. Reality doesn't need billions of cheerleaders. It already has them.
3. You don't have to assume there is only one space. You create spaces. You put what you want in those spaces.
4. You don't have to try to please everybody. You can be bold. You will find your "audience," and they will find you.
5. Keep creating. The speed with which others accept or like what you create is not a sign of whether you are "doing the right thing."
6. If you are glued to the idea of "doing the right thing," you'll eventually sacrifice everything for the sake of pleasing others and gaining their approval. And your creative force will dissipate.
7. If you become genuinely bored with what you are creating, create something else.
8. Don't wait for inspiration. Inspire yourself. If necessary, force the issue.
9. Don't assume you must create perfection. Perfection is actually creating what you want to.
10. Don't assume that creating must be about inventing balance and symmetry. All too often, those qualities are merely compromises with the status quo. In fact, launching creation automatically breaks through a previous balance that was stagnant.
11. You don't have to know everything about what you're going to create before you create it. You don't have to know anything about what you're going to create before you start creating it.
12. Often, if you think what you're creating doesn't come up to the standard you set, it's because you're imposing a standard you didn't want in the first place. You fooled yourself into thinking the standard was your own, but it was nothing more than a shallow consensus of other people's standards.
13. Don't spend endless hours fiddling and faddling and trying to decide what you want to create. Pick the best and most energizing thing you can think of, and launch. Then, as you go, you can change it. You can change it radically, if you want to. You can rub it out altogether, and do something entirely new.
14. Build up momentum.
15. Don't fall for the old adage that you must finish what you start. You can transform what you started and make it into something else---and then finish THAT. You can transform what you started 50 times.
16. Fear of failing is an illusion. What is failing? It's one thing and one thing only: NOT CREATING, OR STOPPING CREATING. If you keep on creating, everything will become clear. You will get what you want, and you'll also gain all the knowledge you want.
In truth, there is no block on creating, except for the thoughts you may place between you and the act of creating.
Many years ago, when I started painting, I was attracted to a number of abstract artists. From spending hours and days and weeks and months looking at their work, I formed some guiding principles.
I didn't formulate these principles as hard and fast rules. I didn't consciously formulate them at all. I did, however, absorb and understand what was, for me, a path.
I think these "guidelines" would be useful for anyone. And I'm not just talking about painting. I'm talking about any activity, from business to relationships to quests to inventing futures you desire:
1. You don't need to create something that resembles what is already around you.
2. You don't have to copy reality. Reality doesn't need billions of cheerleaders. It already has them.
3. You don't have to assume there is only one space. You create spaces. You put what you want in those spaces.
4. You don't have to try to please everybody. You can be bold. You will find your "audience," and they will find you.
5. Keep creating. The speed with which others accept or like what you create is not a sign of whether you are "doing the right thing."
6. If you are glued to the idea of "doing the right thing," you'll eventually sacrifice everything for the sake of pleasing others and gaining their approval. And your creative force will dissipate.
7. If you become genuinely bored with what you are creating, create something else.
8. Don't wait for inspiration. Inspire yourself. If necessary, force the issue.
9. Don't assume you must create perfection. Perfection is actually creating what you want to.
10. Don't assume that creating must be about inventing balance and symmetry. All too often, those qualities are merely compromises with the status quo. In fact, launching creation automatically breaks through a previous balance that was stagnant.
11. You don't have to know everything about what you're going to create before you create it. You don't have to know anything about what you're going to create before you start creating it.
12. Often, if you think what you're creating doesn't come up to the standard you set, it's because you're imposing a standard you didn't want in the first place. You fooled yourself into thinking the standard was your own, but it was nothing more than a shallow consensus of other people's standards.
13. Don't spend endless hours fiddling and faddling and trying to decide what you want to create. Pick the best and most energizing thing you can think of, and launch. Then, as you go, you can change it. You can change it radically, if you want to. You can rub it out altogether, and do something entirely new.
14. Build up momentum.
15. Don't fall for the old adage that you must finish what you start. You can transform what you started and make it into something else---and then finish THAT. You can transform what you started 50 times.
16. Fear of failing is an illusion. What is failing? It's one thing and one thing only: NOT CREATING, OR STOPPING CREATING. If you keep on creating, everything will become clear. You will get what you want, and you'll also gain all the knowledge you want.
posted by Sean Bedlam at 7:14 PM
2 Comments:
I am also an artist/painter and I couldn't agree more fully with the guidlines. I can't help but feel there should've been some mention of ignoring self-loathing, personal insecurities, and the insanity... but that's probably just me.
Been subscribed to you on YouTube for awhile and have been on blogspot for even longer than that. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around.
I only got a little way down the list before reaching that point of having to say "I love you".
Sorry, not very critically helpful.
Post a Comment
<< Home