It’s really about motivation though isn’t it? I’ve been thinking about the creative spark and the motivation to move forward. It’s all an intricate system. You have these ideas, these creative sparks, and you think, wow, that would be something wouldn’t it? The ideas might come, but if you don’t have the rest of the system functional, it amounts to nothing more than a momentary good feeling. It is nothing until it is something.
I know that sounds obvious to the point that it might be a waste to even say it. I find myself looking at such obvious statements as I get older, and reveling in the absolute truth of them. I’m trying to get through all the justifications and re-workings of my self told story, and just get straight to the truth of the matter. The truth of the matter with creative action is that you don’t have anything until you have it. In other words, it doesn’t matter how many great ideas you have floating around in your head, how many sparks of inspiration you have each and every day unless you develop the ability to get down to work and execute.
Most of the time what stops me, what sends me into this endless loop of trying to figure things out is fear. Fear of failure, fear of doing something shitty, fear of finding out that I really haven’t got any real talent or ability in me.
I read a quote in Frank Stockton’s blog. He’s an illustrator who’s work I admire. He says this: “Sometimes [it] doesn't work out, but I consider this stuff to be a journey. Every failed experiment is a brick in my castle.” I’m working towards having that kind of view. That view that you just have to try and see if they work out, and if they don’t, know that they are stepping stones toward something greater, important steps. The key is reminding myself of this every day. Getting past that mental vortex which has suckered me in so many times in the past. Getting to it, now it’s time to go draw.
