“If you are going to create, throw out the rule book. Get rid of it! There’s no right or wrong when you create art. Whatever you decide you want to create, do that. If you feel it, do that. Put your body in the act, and your a** will follow!…” – Leonardo Drew
I threw out the rule book a few weeks ago. Or to be more precise, I threw out/re-homed out about a hundred books that had been taking space — and energy — in my studio.
For years, even decades, I was a book needer. (If that’s not a word, it should be.) I needed books, lots of books — new books, used books, borrowed books; self-help books and inspirational ones, books filled with all sorts of art projects and step-by-step directions, books about creativity and so much more. And then one day, as I was bemoaning the clutter in my studio — clutter that’s not helpful but distracting — I realized that my studio’s status quo did not have to remain the status quo. Those shelves of books that had once offered me comfort and companionship, now offered me… not much.
“Perhaps my art practices and my creative practices and my day-to-day practices no longer needed/desired massive infusions of outside influences,” I thought. “I have a thriving art practice, a thriving creativity practice, and my day-to-day practices are working for me.”
I realized I was never going to want to read about “How to Be Creative in 25 Easy Steps” or “Digital Image Manipulation, Tips and Tricks.” Never. So I packed lots of books that have been on the sidelines for way too long and now they have been rehomed.
Once those books were out of the house, I offered a renewed “hello and welcome” to my shelves of poetry books plus lots of classics and newer books that do I peruse and re-read on a consistent basis, books such as The Art of Stillness by Pico Iyer, Music of Silence by David Steidl-Rast, Thoreau’s Journal by Henry David Thoreau, The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker.
Why did I feel the need to get rid of all that extra? Because I realized I no longer needed and/or wanted a recipe for what to create or how to be creative. I want to dabble, to play, to explore. I want to write a few poems, maybe create a mandala or two, perhaps take a few wonky (contemplative) photographs. I love to do these things in a community of creative folks, where we all explore and discover in a safe and supportive container and follow our own inner muse.
I’m content with my daily creative practice that is more about the doing than the result. Sometimes the results are great; sometimes I even sell my artwork. Awesome! I lead a group of contemplative creatives as we explore all manner of rituals and routines, and I make a little money doing that. But the money is not the main focus. My focus is on the pleasure in the moment, creating with others in community, and holding the intention to be kind, do good, spread the message that creating is healing.
If this sounds like the sort of creative community practice you might enjoy, one with few rules and lots of camaraderie, then check out my online workshop offer. But do it soon — we begin the 13 week Autumn season on September 22, 2021.
About Bo Mackison
