GETTING UNSTUCK

Water overflowed a small strip of eavestrough beside my garage door. Propelled by indignation with this 'improper' drainage, I mustered the energy to haul out the step-ladder. Defiantly, I climbed, my balance uncertain these days. Precariously teetering at the top, my hand blindly felt for the blockage. Seemingly in one swoop my hand closed in on marshy debris, flinging it to the ground, the sound of gushing water, then an emptied silence.

Perhaps a metaphor for how to become 'unstuck', blindly grab hold of what's there and fling it out? But then what of the "emptied silence"? And this is where I hesitated before climbing back down the ladder, dutifully putting it back in storage. The job done.

During the past year, the channel for my creative energy has shifted. And I'm not sure what to do. I'm standing at the top of the ladder, and it is silent. Meanwhile I am happy with my life. I am not the stereotypical frustrated starving artist. Rather, my life is full, overflow taking paths of least resistance. And I am still an artist.

Channeled energy is thought to be essential for efficient production and results in Western societies. What is missing in this paradigm is consideration for the uniqueness of the being of the artist. And this is why artists need to get away. To rejuvenate their authentic source. 

NOTE: In this blog we discuss aspects of the business of art for visual artists from the unique perspective of the independent artist who is creating first, and then after the fact locates the audience that will most appreciate their aesthetic. However, the discussions might be useful or amusing to anyone.