A Quote for All Creatives

Creative Process: Slow or Fast?

I'm always on the lookout for quotes that speak to creative people in all sorts of disciplines, so I thought I'd share this one with you: 

"Without totally insulating themselves against everyday matters, many quilters state that the quilting process itself is an aid in setting one's pace, offering social and communal contacts, and developing respect for oneself and for others. Quilters are learning through practice that creativity is best nurtured, not through exhaustion, but by allowing sufficient time for leisure, and they are realizing that their work partakes of their personality."

 Contemporary Quilts, essay by Luella Doss                                                                                America's Glorious Quilts (pub.1987) 

Though Doss was writing about quilters, this quote addresses the creative process in an interesting way. The first point that impressed me is that creativity doesn't happen in a vacuum, for any body. Creatives draw from "social and communal contacts" for inspiration in their work. This requires a certain respect for the voices of others. When we understand and appreciate that each person contributes to the history of our chosen medium, a desire to contribute our own unique perspective is stirred. Because our work is an expression of our individuality, we are adding our voice to the body of work that is defined as sculpture, music composition, fiction writing, painting, dance, textiles, etc., and ultimately to the history of the creative process.

The second thought that intrigues me is the idea that the pace of the creative process is determined by the constraints of our medium, the stages and phases involved in the execution of our craft. Some processes lend themselves to constant idea generation and a churning out of product. Others require so many time consuming steps that the process is deliberate and slow. The creative adapts to the pace and requirements of their mode of expression.

It should be noted that fast and slow paced processes are found within every field of creativity. For instance, a figure drawing class might begin with multiple quick gesture drawings, before extending the time frame for a figure study, and then continuing model sessions over an extended period for an oil painting. All of these activities contribute to a successful rendering of the figure. In music, composers may create many "sketches," quick studies, which can lay the groundwork for a far more complex symphonic piece. Each creative exercise has value as a personal expression that can be assessed in it's own right, even as it contributes to a body of work.  

But how do we nurture our creativity? Doss indicates it is not through a sense of "exhaustion," weariness, heaviness, or depletion over endlessly repeating the steps of creating. It is nurtured when we give ourselves the luxury of "sufficient time for leisure", for relaxed, pressure free, mindful exploring. Perhaps the key is to vary the pace, and keep ourselves engaged with the process. Then expressing ourselves will never be laborious, but fresh and inspired.