Sunday, December 21, 2008

Creating and Sharing

Well, I can hardly believe that a whole month has passed since I finally posted for the second time on this blog. I love to write in addition to creating visual art. So why am I not writing, and writing all the time? That's a difficult question and may be similar to the question: Why am I not creating art all the time? Do I let life get in the way a little too much and let it keep me from the solitary chore that is painting?

What is it that keeps me from my acknowledged desire for and certainly a kind of longing for more time spent in artistic endeavors? It's true that my creativity easily and often blossoms in many other ways: like problem-solving in everyday life; recognizing connections between many disparate things; knowing how this will lead to that; seeing through, beyond, into so many things, people, situations. These are things that do not always require much solitary time. Or is all of that also an important part of the creative process and not to be put off or denigrated in any way? I do know that time and energy spent on solitary creative endeavors often brings me and many others much joy. And that result is also precious to me, but not always enough to inspire me to my work.

Suddenly last week, when I read the following words in a beautiful new tourism publication from Telluride by the Poet Laureate of San Miguel County, Colorado, I felt a stirring, a sense that she could just as easily be speaking about visual art and maybe many, or even most, other kinds of creative endeavors:

While the creation is solitary,
the dance is the sharing of the words.

-Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

Rosemerry has, I think, explained it all quite well in these few words. Although much of the creative process is rather solitary, it is the sharing after (or sometimes even during) the creative process that makes it come alive... makes it dance... makes it really and truly real. I love that part, the sharing and dancing, just as much as the creating. Her words have inspired me anew to make a more concerted effort to find the solitary time I need to create, so that the excitement and joy and connections of the dance can happen more and more often.

2 comments:

JLH said...

Wow Judy -
Such introspection - and what a wonderful quote you've shared - I may have to calligraph that someday soon!!

Pleinview said...

Well said!
I know for myself-the solitary place is where I am energized and renewed; with out it there would be no dancing for me.
-C