the Scarlet Letters

Interesting thesis. I might add that creativity is challenged when you are expressly creating work that you know (assume) will be for an audience. It leads to excessive self-editing, which any blogger (and probably Sven, with his movie) can tell you. I don't know your feelings on this, but I would add "create as if you are the audience", I mean, if the goal is a final expression of your creative vision. Nothing is perfect. How many times has George Lucas re-edited Star Wars?

To maximize your comments, I say this: Merlin Mann hath perused thy musings, and doth consider them, in his words, "pretty cool." Go thou and . . . um, whatever.

Been thinking these same thoughts for a long time. Thanks for writing em down.

Interesting list. While I don't agree on everything it's still good text that can help people get more things done.

As a physicist, I replaced every occurrence of "art" with "science" and it still makes perfect sense! Thank you very much for sharing your wisdom.

Oh, I like that! --Replacing the "art" with "science"...

Besides doing visual arts (painting, sculpture, digital animation) I also write non-fiction essays about political theory. For me, this workflow has worked equally well for both sorts of creativities. You make me wonder what other arenas it's suited to?

(Thanks for the comments, everyone!)

For folks coming in off the 43 folders link, I just put up two new posts with photos of recent art... So you can see what kind of art I'm actually making using this workflow: sketchbook collages and "witch" sculpture.

What a great list...

It's a real inspiration and encouragement.

This was just what I needed to hear this morning. Thanks!

While I think there are lots of excellent ideas here, for my own creative process I find points one and two a little dismissive of possibilities. I've often worked an idea that I felt had potential until it flowered, even if it was hard going for a while. That is to say, I work through the feeling that it might be a dud and find a direction in it that delivers something positive. Likewise, in my work as a writer, a blogger, a musician and an image maker, I find that the generation/editing process is not as distinct as you might think. Especially in these days of computer assisted creation. I hardly ever rush through to the end of a generative process and then begin an 'editing' process. I find that I sculpt the whole thing much more holistically than that. It's not for me to judge whether the quality and effectiveness of my work is enhanced by that, but I enjoy the process so much that it feels intuitively right to work this way.

A great post though, and the seed of deep discussion.

Good points. :-)

(1) I think I know what you mean about pursuing a direction that feels like it has potential, even though it's rough going, even though it looks like a dud at first. ...I certainly don't mean to dissuade anyone from a passionate wrestle with their material!

My intended emphasis here is on how to not get "hung up". Suppose you've got the artistic equivalent of "writer's block"; sometimes you can overcome the fear of making things that aren't "good enough" by deliberately making things that you'd consider "throw away". Little experiments are to be valued. Keep them, catalog them! They often add up to finding the direction you're looking for (forgive the mixed metaphor) -- and the quick turn-around makes the art process more fun.

...I think that making art is most fun when you can feel some element of spontaneity, like you're being led by a logic internal to the piece, rather than trying to force it into existence, kicking and screaming.

(2) I think you're quite right that the generation and editing processes aren't totally separate... "Do NOT mix generating and editing" is a precious idea to me because I still remember all these essays I tried to write in college, where I would sit staring at a single sentence or paragraph for a whole hour, trying to get it just right -- when really I hadn't even fleshed out my thinking yet.

At least with regards to essays, I think I've become a better writer by telling myself "for every ten essays you write, only one will be worth editing." It's an overstatement -- but not every draft holds together well enough to even merit restructuring and tweaking.

Editing, though -- I confess that's my own weak point. Part of me just doesn't want to do it. Probably because of all that residual pain from college! One of my current internal discussions is about how to make editing seem more like the fun "generating" part of the process. I'm interested in seeing if a metaphor of editing-as-collaging holds up. And I'm trying to tell myself that a revised draft doesn't have to be a final product -- it could stand on it's own, as valid and valuable as the rough draft that came before it.

(3) I like your use of the word "sculpt" ("I find that I sculpt the whole thing much more holistically"). Within a sculpture metaphor, I guess what I'm advocating is this: if you're intimidated by casting in bronze, notice that the master sculptors tend to make hundreds of quick and dirty clay studies before they commit.

...Thanks for the rich response!

What irritates me the most is all of those creative ideas I've had floating around in my head for paintings or sculptures or mixed media etc.... that I didn't even allow onto paper (except for the few lucky ones). I find myself bottling up my creativity because my situation doesn't allow for the time to create like I used to (ie; 3 young kids). The few times I let myself go and create were so thrilling and so exciting. I am considering your comments on being more spontaneous with my art and not so hung up on spending hours on just one piece to make it "perfect". The process is the contagious part of it all and the part that brings me back time after time. With excited anticipation, Michelle

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