A Collage a Day Keeps the Blues Away
If you’ve ever read any books for artists, like Julia Cameron’s ground-breaking The Artist’s Way, you will have heard of the of maintaining various types of daily creative practices. Ms. Cameron recommends a practice called the “Morning Pages,” where you write nonstop, without thinking, for 15 minutes, before starting the rest of your day. This is supposed to clear out some mental garbage and prime the pump for the rest of your day. I thought it sounded like a great idea … Then I tried it and found that I hated it! I thought, “OK, I’ll fake it till I make it,” nonetheless I kept on feeling like I was trying to do someone else’s work, not my own. That’s one thing about being an artist; we’re motivated by pleasure but not by should.
We have to find our own way.
I regarded my Morning Pages experience as an utter failure, and came to believe that I wasn’t disciplined enough to be consistent with such an undertaking. That kind of thinking didn’t serve me at all, and it won’t serve you either. The real issue was that I hadn’t looked for my own version of Morning Pages, something that I’d look forward to each morning. It has taken a long time to circle back and begin to understand what a daily practice actually is for, to know that it can be whatever I choose and to experience the benefits.
The following are some parameters that work for me:
It needs to be simple creative work that I can do in just 15-30 minutes a day, preferably in the morning while I have my second cup of tea.
It needs to be something I look forward to and enjoy, that gives me energy.
It does not have to be my main artistic practice.
I must resist judging the work. I do the exercise and move on.
My current morning practice came about entirely naturally. I had just returned from a fabulous immersive collage workshop in Tennessee. I was feeling inspired and energized, and wanted to prolong that feeling somehow. I set up a space for collaging and started making 5-inch square images in the mornings. I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t want to stop! A couple of months in, I realized that … BINGO!! … have a morning practice.
Though I’m primarily a jewelry artist, I’ve fallen deeply in love with my daily collages. It’s a little like journaling, but visual. Months of practice have shown me that this is about much more than proving that I do indeed have some discipline. I’m noticing benefits on so many levels. For one thing, no matter how the rest of the day goes, I have already honored my need to create. I also see that I’m having fewer highs and lows around my work and life in general. I believe it has something to do with getting out of my head, which helps maintain an open channel to “source” (that mysterious place where our ideas come from).
To put it simply, I’m a happier person, and my creative work is flowing more easily. It’s taken me a long time on a twisted path to get to this place. I share this so that maybe it won’t take you so long. Whether working with a coach or not, I encourage every creative to try some form of daily practice for at least 30 days. If you’re not enjoying it by then, don’t give up like I did; find a different one and carry on. You won’t regret it!
May the muse be with you.