About Fertility

Post 1154:

Improving in the arts is about doing. Practicing. Repetitions and failure, small triumphs and self-analyzing, always doing, always moving forward.

This is how you improve. Not even predisposed geniuses are gifted with artistic insight only gained through toil and effort.

Complicating the equation—feelings. And I do mean to say complicating. Because it’s those mercurial feelings that hold us back or take us to the next level.

Today I’m not referring to sad or happy feelings. More like feeling creative, or, feeling like you are a untalented hack incapable of producing anything of artistic value.

Feeling creatively fertile is one of the best sensations there is. That’s one of the reasons we write the story, perform the song, paint the picture. You ride that wave. They aren’t that common, even though they feel permanent when you’re in the midst of the ride.

Then there’s the droughts. They last a day. An hour. A year. That good creative feeling is like the climate: Highly unpredictable.

What to do when the ground is cracked and dry and nothing is growing? A couple of suggestions. One, lie to yourself. Whatever crap you’re coming up with, it’s the best. Even though it feels like garbage, strenuously work on convincing your brain that feelings don’t matter. Something else. It’s not a bad idea to immerse yourself in the work of someone that makes you feel even worse. Someone who’s so creative it makes you cry that you even aspire to their level. Sure, it’s depressing. But it can also make you mad. Mad ain’t bad, far as artistic motivation. Channel that anger into work. Hey jealousy.

The main thing is, get used to the seasons. That whole thing about there being a time for everything—that’s not going away. Anyway, be fruitful, however you have to do it. Cheers and see you after.