June 27, 2023

Writing to think

Among all the reasons for writing, the most important one for me is that I write to think. If I don’t write – this journal, that story – it’s not long before my brain becomes a muddled mess of half-formed, incomplete ideas.

I draw to think, too – either on a whiteboard or in a sketchbook – the physical act of movement, of responding to what emerges on the page that wasn’t there before is critical in helping shape what I see, how I feel, and how I might make others feel.

Many non-writers or drawers assume that artists and writers don’t put pencil to paper or fingers to keyboard until we have the idea. That we wait for ‘divine inspiration to strike, a spirit moving through us or a clear mind image of what needs to appear on paper. The truth is, the idea or the images emerge *through the act*. The best thing about this is that there’s only one way to prove this is true, and you don’t have to have the idea to begin with – just pick up a pencil, or open the text editor, and start.

Other observations
November 5, 2024

Consistent or resistant

Is my aversion to change about my wanting to be consistent? Or, am I actually being resistant and am I losing something because of that?

October 22, 2024

Critically unacclaimed

What do reviews really tell us about the work? Does it matter who’s reviewing?

October 15, 2024

Proper technique

If I’m learning a new art form, do I focus on technical correctness first or building an emotional connection with the medium?

October 8, 2024

The importance of mess

Physical art materials are messy and inconvenient. But isn’t that the point?

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