Clark: … writing is a way of thinking about something. A way of coming to grips with something. It's a way of uncovering what you really have to say.
VT: I think a lot of people come up with a main idea once and just want to leave it at that.
Clark: [But] … then they start writing and all the chaos of the subconscious wells up, and all the disjointed stuff comes out. Somewhere in there is the main idea -- what you really have to say. But you're going have to crush and sift and smelt it out of there. Refine and hone it … [Y]ou don't really know what you're writing about in the beginning. In writing you don't completely know where you're going until you get there.
VT: It's that feeling of being lost I don't like.
Clark: Well, it helps if you go into it knowing you're going to change your main idea a couple times. Know you're going to start off with a map that is going to get redrawn as you go, which will leave you feeling lost and confused. But know that as the map changes, something solid is going to emerge from the fog and come into sharp focus and lead you forward. It definitely will. And it's exciting to watch your unexpected ideas unfold.
Can't say I'm feeling excited right now. In fact, why did I not stop with yesterday's 'main idea'?Clearly, the chaos of my subconcious has welled up and landed me in the fog. Now I've got no choice but to get down to crushing and sifting and smelting. Refining and honing.
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| patch in progress |
8 comments:
Yes the feeling of "lost" is quite disturbing. Very overcoming. You seem to be able to deal with it. Covering,revealing, sectioning! I just tend to smear over the whole thing, just did on my figure, just a blob of yellow, clean slate. I love the orbs appearing and that little glow of yellow orange in the green field.
I believe that that's the beauty of how you paint, Dotty! Going through the mud in stead of jumping over it! And uncovering jewels in the meantime.
crushing, sifting, smelting. I am enchanted by these words. They are exactly right. You are following the paint, and sometimes the paint is hard to get along with. I guess even art supplies have off days. Blame it on the paint! xo
A world of wonder down below. Flying through the clouds, coming in for the landing. :)
Carol, thanks for your vote of confidence in my being 'able to deal with it.' I guess I am, but not always with grace or equanimity. This stage had me feeling pretty discouraged and heavy. But: the Taurus in me is stubborn, and I'm usually determined to work through the heart-sinking messy middle. One gift of daily painting is the empirical wonder of learning again and again that what becomes a mess does not have to remain a mess.
Love that you noticed that little glow of yellow orange in the green field.
Simone, thank you for this heartening reflection—so helpful to step outside myself for a moment and look in through your eyes. Love the image of my going through the mud instead of jumping over it! And uncovering jewels, which I most often do : )
Yeah, exactly! Stupid paint! Love the notion of art supplies with off days : )
In the end, it pretty much looks like crushing, sifting, and smelting are gonna be part of life one way or the other—might as well come out with a painting, too!
THANK YOU for lifting me out of my limited view!
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