The standard fill in the blank form from Wix and I took the bait. Over the past few months I have been working through an exercise called Morning Pages. Morning Pages are an exercise from the book called "The Artist Way" by Julia Cameron. Spoiler: This blog will not be my morning pages. Those pages are for me, a place to whine, process and write really bad poetry. This blog will be what happens after that exercise.
Think of it as the runner's high. After a long run, there is this moment of clarity. It is almost as if all the junk that gets kick around in your brain gets sorted out and then there is this focus. It isn't necessarily life changing focus but there is something about it that makes you keep lacing up your shoes once again. Morning Pages are sort of built that way too. After hand writing (!) in a stream of conscious for 3 pages straight (!), and I am talking A4 size paper or legal sized paper for my American friends, I find that I start to reside in a different space of creativity.
One area of focus when I can't think of ANYTHING to write is that to start describing my art work, or whatever the stories are behind my work. My paintings often come from some sort of vision. It isn't as hippy dippy as it sounds, it is more like a playful scene that comes to me and if I am paying attention and start working it through the picture in my head can get translated onto the canvas.
As I am painting, I play with the story I am trying to tell. Sometimes this story is very clear and I have a point of reference such as a photo or a sketch from life that I work from. Lately, it seems that I will use some bit of reference and then dream up the rest, or layer multiple references. I have given myself permission to break free from controlling the painting by limiting it to whatever the reference may or may not be. In the end for me this is just more engaging.
Since these stories start to build upon themselves while I am working or even as an after thought, I thought I would share what these stories are in the written form alongside the visual. We will see how it goes. There may be some poetry, some song writing or general musing but it is all in good fun. I am happy to share this with you.
This is my work and I just ask that if it is not to your liking just keep your thoughts to yourself. If you do like it and want to share, please do so and just give credit where credit is due.