It’s lunchtime. You’ve been slaving away at your work, you’re distracted, and you’re not really hungry but you know that you should eat something because you won’t have a chance again until you get home. You have two choices. You can make the trip down the block and across the street to the deli to get a salad and light sandwich, or you can go next door to the fast food joint and grab a quick burger and fries. It takes time to eat healthy. It’s more convenient to eat junk food. Which do you do?
The same principle applies to our creative life with regard to the types of stimulus we choose to absorb.
We can develop ruts, (patterns?), in our lives by continuously returning to the same well for creative stimulus. It’s easy for us, and requires little energy or forethought because the path is well worn. Maybe it’s the same books, or websites, or friendships that we’ve always chosen, and we know exactly where to go and how to use them to get what we need.
The problem with this approach is that things that are easy and “well worn” are just like pop culture - they are a superficial reflection of the deeper and hidden meaning we can find if we’re willing to dig a bit.
As artists, we must continuously strive for new and interesting stimulus. We must look for it in places we don’t expect to find it. We need to spend the time to cook a good meal rather than settling for creative snack food. Just like with our bodies, our creative energy is dependent on our “fuel”. If we are feeding ourselves junk, we will eventually fall into predictable patterns and repetitive drivel. If we are nourishing ourselves with a broad-ranging diet, we will find ourselves making more “remarkable” things.
Treat yourself to a healthy diet of stimulus.
It takes intentionality to engage with creative projects on our own time - they don’t just make themselves. In this episode, we talk about some disciplines that can help us creatively engage and get moving on our “pet” projects.
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