Advice from the Bush

​A post from a really creative friend brought out the teacher in me.  Above is fabulous bushy Te Moata, and I write this from the 'Air-hut' my favourite cottage with incredible views over the trees out to the sea. 

Dear artists, creators, creatives!
What is your “recipe” for a person to gain back what they have lost or maybe never had the desire to experiment? Here I am thinking about when the “I’ll get it when my idea is good enough” syndrome sticks. Same here, I’d also appreciate advice on how to get out of the typical perfectionist self-sabotage. The last one or so In 1 year I am afraid to create, I do not dare to "waste" paper, to acquire raw materials, it happened so many times that I did not even touch them, because by the time I collected what I needed for experimenting, I wrote down the idea. So, who helps what? Maybe something will move me from here, it would be so good to create again, I miss it very much. You almost never see on social media this - I think the hardest/most challenging - part of the creative process, which is about. it accounts for 95% of the creative process of the creators, only the over-the-top final result, the artwork developed to super perfection. Well, looking at these only makes my situation worse. Although I could create, it will stress me out, but I can’t. Might come for any constructive insight, maybe there’ll be some advice I can take. Thanks!


.........What an absolutely brilliant discussion - so much wisdom here, so many good strategies. I went through what you are going through, nothing I did lived up to my expectations and it took a long time to accept that is the process and that is why being as prolific as possible without worrying about results is the way to go. I have a statement on my studio wall that says 'NOTHING IS WRONG' - that means everything you do is good because it's ALL steps along the way, all you can do is do more to get better. And you know - in the privacy of your studio how could anything be wrong? No one needs to see! Everything created is a creation! When I was at art school I had a friend who I used to hear bursting our laughing in her studio - she laughed when she did something she thought was terrible...she would say...ooooh that is so bad...... I couldn't believe it - then I tried it. It's not serious, you don't need to be serious, laugh at your funny imperfect creations, that are struggling to be better. What I also learned at art school was that making art mirrored my mind...it was my art that wasn't good enough...it was just my autopilot mind telling me that about myself. I cried everyday, it was hard, like a long therapy. Now I'm so much in a better space because I don't listen to my auto pilot mind, I listen to music or an audiobook to stop me listening to internal negativity and I 'JUST DO IT' - that's the other thing on my studio wall. Having a lovely comfortable warm studio is essential to me, loads of cups of tea, stuff around me to look at to be inspired, walls of inspiration - doesn't matter what it is - ripped out of magazines...just feelings, colours, sometimes that's where I start - just spending time on collecting and feeling the desire to create is 'creative'. Keeping a journal just for my studio is essential. Once I am in the flow, I write down every idea that comes up for future reference ( I also complain in there just to get it out, then move on). Someone said in the comments about doing what comes easily - follow your strengths, your lyrical lines, your details, the simplicity and clarity, the nature themes, find artists that relate to what you want to do, go back to the last work you did and redo it. That helps you to get back into the space you were in then and then carry on. I know how creative you are, everything you do is beautiful and creative, let go of your analysis, instead meditate, do yoga and then get in the flow...just hanging out in your studio and rearranging what you have already done to see it juxtaposed in new ways and cleaning might be all you do one day, but everything you do is a GOOD contribution to your practice. 
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The Air-hut is top left with washing drying on one of the balconies.

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