The Creative Call: Being Servants

Chapter 6 deals with the "meat and potatoes" of the creative's life. It is about productivity. The advice given there is not new: silence the critic, stop procrastinating, get over being afraid of failure (or success), create an environment conducive to your work. However, what is different here is the notion of being a "servant of the work". As servants of the work we need to get off our duffs and get to work, even if this means that we must schedule an appointment with ourselves to do so. The author points out that the Spirit requires us bring into existence the inspiration given to us. Even if we don't feel like working, or don't feel as if we have an idea to bring to life, we need to sit down and write or make art or whatever. Get working and everything will fall into place. We need to make our creative practice a top priority instead of something we do when we finish other things.

I found this to be true for myself this week. A number days ago I had the vaguest suggestion of an idea. I put it off for a few days until I forced myself to pull out a large piece of paper and prime it. The primed paper then sat on my studio table for several more days. Yesterday, I decided I needed to schedule the time to start the painting. I made the appointment for 8:00 last night. It is at the end of the day not because I did not think it was important. It is at the end of the day so I could start working and not have to stop myself to do something else. I could go as long as I needed.

I started with this sketch:



And then blocked out the major color areas. I worked for about two hours until I came to a convenient stopping place.



The image is now sitting up on my studio table. I have scheduled this evening again, at 8:00 to continue laying on the color and start on the detail work. I'll post the finished painting when I feel I have reached the end.


ljgloyd (c) 2010