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That Spark of Life - Developing the Desire to Do Art
Are you frustrated about your artistic process?
Do you often end up in a place that feels sad, complicated or just unsatisfying?
Or do you think you're just uncreative and yet are still hopeful that there may be some chance for you?
I had those thoughts for many years and after many years of searching came up with some basic principles on how to overcome artistic frustration.
I firmly believe that EVERYONE is creative and that art is too fun not to do. It is a gift to humanity and it's never too late or too anything to start.
The book's first page
summarises the whole philosophy:
The general strategy is to fall in love.
To enjoy.
To have fun.
To experience.
That’s it.
To bring your mind back to these ideas again and again.
Is it that simple?
Yes.
It's a simple enough idea but it can be difficult to do.
Doing art can be difficult when there seems to be a lack of internal motivation or direction.
This is the catch-22 situation for the person who wants to do art but thinks (or feels) that they have very little artistic instinct. I know what this feels like, and this is a stage when there is a tendency to either not do art or to rely on accepted values. Inevitably, both roads can lead to discouragement.
So the book is devoted to how one goes about discovering one's artistic "hunches." It's all about taking gentle steps and becoming sensitive to what you like and enjoy. In the beginning, these instincts are going to seem quite small and insignificant but you need to trust them. For example, if all you want to do is scribble, that's fine! It's all about concentrating on impulses that originate from the heart - like sincerity and honesty - instead of coming up with an idea first and then trying to execute it.
I recommend reading the book very slowly, almost like a prayer book. Let the ideas seep in. It's a very easy read but more challenging to put into practice.
Other Quotations from
"That Spark of Life - Developing the Desire to Do Art"
Don’t wait for the perfect wave.
Accept what you have.
Do what you can.
Every once in a while during the day,
go inside and softly ask yourself,
“What do I feel like doing now?”
It’s like asking, “What do I feel like eating?”
Due to cost constraints on publishing in colour, I've had to publish the book in black & white. To see the illustrations in colour, please click here.
SPECIAL THANKS GOES OUT TO
MY GENIUS FRIEND
CHRIS HODAK
WHO HELPED TO MIDWIFE THE BOOK AND EDITED ONE OF THE EARLIEST DRAFTS.
Become
very
sensitive
to
what
makes
you
happy
The eyes can’t see a lot.
They can’t perceive the mystery behind a doodle
or the cosmic force that creates a squiggle.
Don’t worry about what you don’t want to do.
Focus on what you do want to do.
Courage is necessary at times.
You have to stick up for your authenticity.
You need to stick up for your genius.