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An Artist in Turmoil
Tuesday 08 September 2015 LyricsBlog
It has been a little bit too long since I last shared with you all...
And the reason?
Turmoil...
OK, perhaps that sounds a tad melodramatic, and it probably is. But the truth is, life has been largely unsettled and un-routined for the past several weeks. With moving back to Asia, starting a new school and picking up old projects, without a permanent place to stay or organised belongings, I have felt... to put it lightly, flustered...
And it has got me thinking about the parameters that I seem to require to be creative.
This isn’t to do with productivity; I can get things done, whether it is writing papers or moving projects forward or practicing scales.
It is more about creating the right environment, both internal and externally, to foster creative thinking and outputs.
One of the things that I have often found strange is my need to have a tidy and organised creative space. This feels in some ways atypical for an artist - the classic picture of the creative genius is one of a studio littered with sketches, semi-read books, coffee cups, notes, and the occasional odd sock or half eaten sandwich. My husband’s studio is often like this, a highly complex mass of cables and equipment, with several things piled up on and under and around the desk. I wonder how he can see through the chaos.
I also have to tick everything else off of my to-do list before I can give myself over to the wash of creativity that trying to be an artist requires.
In essence, I have to clear my physical and my mental slates.
And I wonder why.
Perhaps it is that I don’t assign enough priority to just taking time to create. Other needs become more pressing; I would love to call my mum, I need to pick up something for dinner, so-and-so is expecting me to send her my review... These things are important. But should they top the list and stop me from doing what I call my first passion?
Perhaps it is just a focus issue; my husband is able to (sometimes unwittingly) give 100% of his attention to whatever he is doing. It makes me jealous! I can’t help but be distracted by the nagging to-dos and visual anomalies that surround me.
Perhaps it is lack of routine; if there was a time and space that was repeatedly given to music and writing, maybe I would be able to look past the usual obstacles and get into the discipline of creating.
But I think, one thing has to be true for all of us who have to create: your space should be a little haven. It should be a stimulating and peaceful place, where art is glorified as the highest achievement. It should be somewhere that you long for, get lost in, a creative womb where your most spectacular ideas can be birthed.
In Hong Kong, it will be hard to devote a whole room to creative space since the number of square feet at my disposal will be severely limited!
But, I will find a perfect corner of our little home, and keep it sanctified as my little temple of creativity.
How do you set up yours?
And the reason?
Turmoil...
OK, perhaps that sounds a tad melodramatic, and it probably is. But the truth is, life has been largely unsettled and un-routined for the past several weeks. With moving back to Asia, starting a new school and picking up old projects, without a permanent place to stay or organised belongings, I have felt... to put it lightly, flustered...
And it has got me thinking about the parameters that I seem to require to be creative.
This isn’t to do with productivity; I can get things done, whether it is writing papers or moving projects forward or practicing scales.
It is more about creating the right environment, both internal and externally, to foster creative thinking and outputs.
One of the things that I have often found strange is my need to have a tidy and organised creative space. This feels in some ways atypical for an artist - the classic picture of the creative genius is one of a studio littered with sketches, semi-read books, coffee cups, notes, and the occasional odd sock or half eaten sandwich. My husband’s studio is often like this, a highly complex mass of cables and equipment, with several things piled up on and under and around the desk. I wonder how he can see through the chaos.
I also have to tick everything else off of my to-do list before I can give myself over to the wash of creativity that trying to be an artist requires.
In essence, I have to clear my physical and my mental slates.
And I wonder why.
Perhaps it is that I don’t assign enough priority to just taking time to create. Other needs become more pressing; I would love to call my mum, I need to pick up something for dinner, so-and-so is expecting me to send her my review... These things are important. But should they top the list and stop me from doing what I call my first passion?
Perhaps it is just a focus issue; my husband is able to (sometimes unwittingly) give 100% of his attention to whatever he is doing. It makes me jealous! I can’t help but be distracted by the nagging to-dos and visual anomalies that surround me.
Perhaps it is lack of routine; if there was a time and space that was repeatedly given to music and writing, maybe I would be able to look past the usual obstacles and get into the discipline of creating.
But I think, one thing has to be true for all of us who have to create: your space should be a little haven. It should be a stimulating and peaceful place, where art is glorified as the highest achievement. It should be somewhere that you long for, get lost in, a creative womb where your most spectacular ideas can be birthed.
In Hong Kong, it will be hard to devote a whole room to creative space since the number of square feet at my disposal will be severely limited!
But, I will find a perfect corner of our little home, and keep it sanctified as my little temple of creativity.
How do you set up yours?
Striving or Settled
Wednesday 29 April 2015
“I’d rather be striving than settled.
I’d rather be moving than static.”
These sound like romantic, idealistic words. They are perhaps dreams that many of us have. But when it gets down to it, being unsettled is hard. Being on the move is hard. 
I am currently truly without a permanent address. We gave up our flat in Hong Kong. My family moved house in England. And in the USA we are tourists. When we came through immigration, I was absolutely stumped as to what to write as my “home” address...