I've been working on my thesis for some weeks now - the deadline is approaching SO fast, even writing down the word deadline just made me shiver. Turning the pages of a book seems to have become the greatest social interaction I've been getting lately. (Does watching TV in the evening count too?)
In the beginning my thoughts were only wandering off occasionally (to my blog mostly, I was sooo creative in the beginning, my Addiction to Creativity has diminished) my thoughts, and my creativity, have decided to take a vacation. How do you get it back?
I took a short break today to work on my new website for TYT (okay, I admit, it lasted longer than I intended to) and somehow, the site is still almost empty, even after working on it. Isn't that weird? Shouldn't it have been full of inspiration and ideas, almost bursting with creativity?
Not only is my mind blank, but also my website. I already had this amazing "I launched my new website post" planned but I'm still centuries away from that now. Light-years.
These are the moments where I'd love to be able to illustrate or draw or have any artistic talent, then I could at least fill my site with beautiful illustrations. I actually did some doodling, but after a while I was even shocked by my non-existant artistic talent. I couldn't even identify what I had been drawing in the first place. A friend of mine once told me anyone could learn to draw, but I think with some people it is just hopeless. (like me, I guess).
So now I've decided to ask my readers: What would you like to see on my website (it will become a creative collaboration platform one day, hopefully ;-) ) Is there anything you have always wished to see on a page dedicated to art?
Or: Are there any illustrators who'd love to sketch something for my site? I will offer you lots of credit, that's for sure.
I was even thinking about doing a small competition, the one with the best idea will get a full feature on tradeyourtalent and more (that will be a surprise, of course :-) )
For now: I hope my inspiration will be back from vacation tomorrow. I hope. Otherwise it is going to get into REAL trouble for abandoning me like that ;-)
I almost forgot: a big hello to my thirtieth follower, Dana Carey, check out her beautiful illustrations on her blog http://danacarey.blogspot.com/
Susanna
Something that may be of help: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
ReplyDeleteAlso, relative to what to post: I don't think you should be so hard on yourself. Creativity ebbs and flows. It's there, in you. Don't fret. Don't force. It will come out when it's ready. Happens to me all the time. When I relax and let it go, the most amazing drawings seem to happen. Btw, I have been looking at a lot of "creative" blogs lately, and yours is one of the few that I have found interesting. Your writing is clear, rings true, and I like your genuine, heart-felt tone. I wish you good luck! PS what is the subject of your thesis?
Thank you so much Elizabeth for posting this, I had a look and Elizabeth Gilbert's words are so true! It must have been so hard for her to be creative again after writing such a bestselling book like Eat Pray Love. Watching her and your kind words really helped me. I also had a look at your Penspaper Blog, your illustrations are so beautiful and adorable, I loved the illustration you did for toy!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd so true: it will come out when it is ready and when I'll be able to relax again after this thesis. My thesis is on Reagan and Kirkpatrick and her foreign policy thought (I study History), I've been analyzing more than 40 of her speeches, that is really challenging sometimes! But now I'm sure, once I'm finally done I'll be able to focus on my creative side again ;-)
Ciaoooooooo Susanna!!
ReplyDeleteOoh I wish you all the luck with your thesis! It sounds complicated, but interesting!
Elizabeth Stanton said it perfectly. It will come back when you're ready. Personally, I think with creative blocks, it only gets worse when you start to get frustrated about why you're having one in the first place. Accept that it and focus on other things. And she is right too when she said that the most amazing drawings can come alive then ^_^.
As for your blog...hmm I'm kinda blurry the last couple of days haha. I don't have a specific answer for you yet. However, I love how you featured artists and to read the answers on the questions. Maybe you can have also guest writers? Perhaps little projects like art swaps or set up collabs with people who are interested in it? E.g. I'm collaborating with another artist. He had a piece from a lyric and asked me to come up with an image. I have and I will provide him the line work and he will digitally ink & color it.
I bet there are bunch of other things that would be fun to do and to see/read! Now...my mind is completely blank haha.
Talk to you soon!
Xxx
Hi TJ!!!
ReplyDeletethanks so much for this lovely comment on my blog; I read it yesterday in the evening and it put a smile on my face ;-) I think you are right about creative blocks, I really tried not to be frustrated with it, and voila, it helped :-) In the meantime I also figured out what my website is going to be about... I think it is going to be a creative magazine, similiar to my blog :-)
And I love your idea about the guest writers,that would be so much fun!
I'd also love to see the image you created for the lyrics, you have to show it to me once it's done!
Actually I'm also working on a couple of collaborations, soon you'll find out more about that..I'm really excited!!
Talk to you soon and looking forward to your exhibition!!
xxx