"Art is a privilege, a blessing, a relief." Louise Bourgeois
In the past, I believed that I needed to make art in order to survive. That sounds kind of dramatic, but for a time it felt true. I haven’t felt this way for a while and this change has left me to wonder why I choose to continue to make art. It is certainly a difficult path with few worldly rewards. Hmmm… worldly rewards. Perhaps that helps to answer the question right there. I have never been someone who is motivated by many of the things that push people through life like money, fame etc., so it makes sense that these things would have little importance in my drive to make art. So, if it’s not a matter of life and death and its not a matter of worldly validation, what is it?
Fortunately, after rolling this question around in my mind for a while, I finally forgot about it and returned to my work. I decided to go back to my practice, but to return with a more open mind and less expectation. I chose not to work toward a particular exhibition or with any career strategy in mind, but rather just for the pure joy of the exploration. I haven’t worked in such an open and playful way in a very long time (probably not since I was a child) and it has put me back in contact with why I love being an artist so much, which is simply because I love the creative process.
A recent outcome of the art process in collaboration with Jorge Calvo
There is a lot of talk and speculation about creative process although I don’t think I have really understood and was able to define what it is for me until now. What I have found is that the process of making art is about exploring what it means to be alive and how I integrate and perceive the world. I am like a private investigator, poking around the crevices of life, taking notes in my mind and translating into images what is impossible to understand about being human and living in an animal and social existence simultaneously. Sounds lofty, no? Well, it really isn’t. I think, it is what most people think about on some level, but don’t consciously process. My mind and body just happen to go in this direction and it is a gift. It doesn’t need to be a matter of life and death nor compensated by the external world because the pure joy and fascination of the process is life itself.
"Art is a guarantee of sanity." Louise Bourgeois
So, on that note, I just wanted to share some pieces of my creative process. What constitutes an effective creative process is certainly different for everyone, but this is what I have found to be essential to me.
1. Being alone. This is not very glamorous and is not for everyone, but it seems to be one of the most fundamental pieces of my process right now. Being alone allows me to relax and gives me a chance to experience without having to think so logically. When I do, ideas bypass my conscious mind and come easily. The results are a lot stranger and more challenging than when I am trying to think of ideas. It can be hard to spend so much time alone, but I notice that it is exactly when it gets hard and I want to leave that things get interesting.
2. Dancing. This not only lifts my energy, but allows space for my body and mind to wander. I can access another part of myself in movement.
3. Talking to friends. Conversations with the right people support the development of ideas. Jorge is the person I speak to the most. He is very supportive, but even more importantly than that I learn a lot talking to him. He doesn’t only comment on my ideas, but expands my horizons.
4. Spacing out. This is hard for me to do because I always feel like I should be actively doing something, but doing “nothing” is one of the best ways to have ideas pop into my head. Spacing out can include: sleeping, watching Star Trek, taking a bath, staring out the window etc.
5. Working at home. At the moment, working at home has been incredibly beneficial. For the past few years, I have felt that I needed a studio- that I needed to get out- that I needed to go to a residency and these things have been beneficail at times, but right now, being in my comfortable home is bringing back to myself and my ideas
6. Consistency. Doing something everyday- no matter how small has made a huge difference. This started with doing a drawing a day a few months back as well as keeping this blog and dancing on a regular basis. Recently, I started doing a video a day and the energy the process just keeps getting stronger and more fluid.
Be well,
Michele
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