““And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom.””
Hello Creative Friends,
We had daffodils blooming when I created this image. One of the things I like about daffodils is that they show up every year without any effort on my part. What a gift it is to be presented with all the beauty of spring just for the price of opening my eyes to it.
Don't you love days when your creativity is threatening to bloom like the buds of spring? Yes, I have days when my creativity feels buried beneath the weight of the world and my to do list.
Those are the days when "doing it anyway" requires a set of skills like scheduling, routine, and trust for me to even get to my art table. I am so familiar with those kinds of days that I know now that if I will just sit in front of my art journal, ignore Blockhead who is telling me I have more important things to do, the creative process will win out.
Other times, the creative urge in me is so strong that I am uncomfortable in my skin until I can allow it to come forth. I believe ignoring this urge is dangerous to one's health, spirit and well-being. The danger of substituting an activity that feels more appropriate than dragging out tubes of paint, that looks more fruitful than tearing up paper and pasting it back together and is acceptable as productive by others will lead me down a road of resentment.
I don't want to feel resentful because I don't get to do my art. We know where the path of resentment leads. The feeling of anger and bitterness and a vague sense of having been wronged is enough to spoil a whole lifetime of art making, but the substitute activities can be a death knell.
- "If I can't do my art, I'll spend money."
- "If I can't do my art, I'll have another piece of pie."
- "If I can't do my art, I won't fulfill my commitments."
If you only used substitution activities once, it wouldn't make such a difference, but the danger lies in making it a habit to ignore the urge to burst forth creatively and habitually select activities that can become addictive.
I am not sure how this post became so serious since I started out just wanting to celebrate spring and the urge to let one's inner-self bloom.
For the whole of spring, will you join me in taking the risk to follow the urge to do your art and bloom big.
The wisteria is showing off on the fence, in the trees and along the roadside here in our yard.
My dear husband, Rod Tanner took these photos. Aren't they just lovely? I may need to paint something this color.
Welcome Spring and Welcome Creativity!
Cheering you Artfully on,
Diana