Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Lurching towards excellence

Lurching towards excellence

Three benefits I'm enjoying because of being "between" (bands, projects, creative focus):
1. rest and freedom from the pressure to produce something
2. room to explore and collaborate
3. time and energy to do things previously impossible

I haven't been writing a lot, but when I have I'm
a. collaborating more
b. spending more time lurching towards excellence than my usual "just git 'er done"

In the seasons of the creative life, we often move from spring (which is all about exploration) to summer (which is about focus and growth and not quitting). Then fall comes and we see what grew up during that last season (strengths, weaknesses, and the value of the work), and then everything shuts down and we have time to rest, reflect and recoup because it's winter.

The idea is that when spring comes and we start exploring again we get to build on everything that happened before. The trees are a little bigger, the roots deeper.

We also must start from scratch again each spring, as if we've never created before.

We build on the wisdom and experience of past endeavors, but must not rely on that alone. If we forget the mystery, the gift , the x-factor and the fact that it's more than our abilities and experience that makes creativity work and art emerge, our creativity scuttles into it's shell and our art is stillborn. The worse part is that sometimes we're too in love with our ideas, our successes/failures and our power or weakness to notice...

1 comment:

Bryan Moyer Suderman said...

Not to mention the fact that, in your current season, you seem to be blogging more regularly too - which is an added bonus and gift for those of us who like to hear your thoughts, whatever season you're in... Thank you!