Noodling is a word I use to describe when I’m messing around. A bit like play. Maybe there’s some idea, or starting point, that sits me down with a pencil in hand, but often there isn’t. Most of the time, when I sit down to draw for fun, I truly have no idea where the marks I’m making will go.
But, I also know that without a little noodling, I’ll never make a pasta. It’s become one of the most important parts of my art practice.
What if, on the days we don’t feel like making art, we do anyway? In the same way that we show up to our day jobs when we don’t fee like it?
The problem with progress is that we’re likely to learn that we’re either not good enough or not ambitious enough. But maybe there’s no other way?
If a chair is for sitting, what’s sitting for? Why sit at all?
What might we be able to tell ourselves and listen for in order to provoke more positive energy and action in our art practice?
Where does the motivation for beginning mark making come from? Why would I even try in the first place?
