If you’re like me, you loved art before you started making it. In fact, your love for art is, in large part, what probably led you to make your own. I think that ought to always be the case; that my love for art should remain close to the heart of my creative process.

Which leads to something of a dilemma.

As much as I enjoy music, I have a tendency to think and talk shop about music—meaning, my love and appreciation often take a backseat to analysis and critique. But that’s harder to do when I’m looking at work I know I can’t make— work by artists like Rothko or Vonnegut. Because I cannot do what they do, I can sim- ply take it in and enjoy it as a viewer and reader. I can be inspired.

It is easy to fall out of love with art if I am constantly in the grind of making it. One way to re-awaken that inspired love is to step away from our own creative process for a bit. Another way is (as is discussed earlier in this book) to make something outside your primary discipline or craft. I would add to that list the joyful discipline of listening to, reading or seeing art you know you can’t make.


Title Pending ImageThis is an excerpt from my book Title Pending, which will be released this Fall/Winter. Join the email list for more like this, news about the release and content no one else gets. 

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