Out walking in the cold sunshine of nine degrees below zero windchill, I found the squeaking crunch of the snow under each step comforting.
Do you ever feel that with each step on your creative path that you are stepping into uncharted territory? Crunch, crunch, crunch. That it takes effort and fortitude to move forward without a map?
Yes, your path is your own and you are the one walking it, so it is uniquely yours.
What if it were also true that the path has been paved by many creative souls who have gone before us?
We aren’t the first to orienteer our way through a creative life. Generations of artist’s have lived and created and even left bread crumbs for us to follow through the winding woods.
Last night at our meetup, I was reminded of an activity from Julia Cameron’s book, Walking in This World. She encourages the reader to think of an artistic mentor whom you know personally or wish you knew, and call them in to give you some advice. First, you choose the creative you’d like to hear from, and then formulate your question. Sure, you could chat about the weather, but it’s a better use of time and energy to get to the heart of the matter.
What question do you have, that if you had the answer to, would help you move forward creatively?
I invited counsel from a couple of artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, and was very surprised at how quickly I had a sense of her words being whispered in my ear. I asked about a painting that I’ve been stuck on, and she told me without hesitation to go to the canvas and ask her again when I got there. Brilliant, right? I certainly can’t move forward on the painting unless I’m close enough to put paint on it!
Who would you like to hear from? What artist, well-known or not, living or not, do you admire and consider knowledgable and experienced such that you would value their advice? Get your pen and paper ready to jot down what you hear.
So, it’s true that your art is unique because it come through you, and your process of making art and living a creative life also has a one-of-a-kind expression. It is also true that many have ventured courageously along a creative path, leaving signs and sign posts, markers and signals that can be helpful to those of us who follow.
What art tracks inspire you?
