Creative Flow
Creative flow seems to be this elusive enigma that appears only when I've let go of any expectations of it. In its most fundamental nature, it demands a certain amount of surrender and honesty.
- Originally posted on threadthelight.com 3/7/2021. Includes edits for continuity.
Creative flow seems to be this elusive enigma that appears only when I've let go of any expectations of it. In its most fundamental nature, it demands a certain amount of surrender and honesty. An experienced creative will have tamed this flow a little, giving it some parameters to move in. I see this as a give-and-take, a trusting. A relationship.
So, how do we get a little closer to this elusive beast? I think it has a little to do with being a willing receiver. A vital piece of that is, removing the blocks that limit your ability to receive. What I’ve discovered while reflecting on my fears and resistance is that I need to allow myself to be human. For my own creative flow, I've needed to recognize and acknowledge recurring themes of resistance and trust in my life.
I’m not saying that creative flow can’t happen unless you unpack all your emotions, or let out every skeleton in the closet, I’m just saying that the closer you can get to being comfortable with who you really are, the easier it is to invite it.
Emblem
I don't think I'm alone in these feelings, and whether we know it or not, our beliefs and values direct a lot of our lives, mine included. I'd also like to say that even though this is painful and hard to sit with, our experiences in life do not have to be a means to end.
- Originally posted on threadthelight.com. Includes edits for continuity. 3/07/2021
The name "Thread the Light" came to me from a dream. Several years ago, I woke up from a dream and in it, I was being threaded through the eye of a needle. I was light and in that moment I felt a great amount of fear and resistance. For several days after this dream, I drew what I thought represented this experience. What you see here is the emblem for this experience & message.
When I looked up the phrase "thread the light", one of the first things that popped up was a song called "This Low", written by Glen Hansard of Swell Season. It is a beautiful haunting song that perfectly expresses (in my opinion) the message of embracing the light within ourselves, even when it feels diminished or broken.
I started to understand that what I experienced was not a new idea. It was a theme and a clear message. It's been several years since this experience and I've gone through a lot, with the theme of fear and resistance repeating itself.
I sat down with my thoughts recently and tried to dismantle some of the core beliefs and values that trigger fears and resistance in my life. I don't think I'm alone in these feelings, and whether we know it or not, our beliefs and values direct a lot of our lives, mine included. I'd also like to say that even though this is painful and hard to sit with, our experiences in life do not have to be a means to end. And although we can't change what happened we can change the perception of our experiences and seek to find a little solace, peace, and gratitude for their place in our lives.
As we move through difficult things, I see threading the light as the point of your awareness that goes beyond your physical limitation and sees a way through, knowing that your experiences thread together a greater understanding of your own resilience, capacity, and love.
Barrier Tension
Not everything can be condensed into words. Some things are better felt, and art has a way of moving you without justification or reason. It just does. You feel it, you understand it, and connect with it.
Art is a process. It is in fact, everything you’ve experienced focused into one moment of expression. You may be using just one medium, one concept, one vision - but you as the artist are the culmination of years of conscious and unconscious sensory and cognitive experience. So what seemingly comes out of nowhere as inspiration, may just be an open moment to feel what you already have inside.
Not everything can be condensed into words. Some things are better felt, and art has a way of moving you without justification or reason. It just does. You feel it, you understand it, and connect with it. It is this inner language of form that goes beyond context and moves into interpretation and emotion. This is why art is such a good vehicle for processing emotions and concepts beyond our immediate understandings.
This is also why I like to work with ink and water. I can use control when needed, but also allow things to flow. For me, there is a connection between my philosophy on life and ink and water as an art medium. There is a barrier created by water tension and the dry paper. This tension is what gives the ink a place to flow. It is always a surprise to me watching the ink flow, where it moves, how it settles, and where it intensifies.
For my life, understanding the purpose of tension, and knowing you’re allowed to change the direction of flow and create something different or increase the capacity of what you can hold is a similar dynamic to the ink and water balance of tension and fluidity.
Giving yourself the freedom in art to allow flow, is like a knock on the door to your unconscious. An invitation for it to speak without the confines of words. What comes out, doesn’t need to make sense, often it doesn’t. But you can feel it. Intrinsically, the language of form speaks to a unified understanding and emotion.
Plinco Checkpoint
One of my first jobs starting my career in college was at a local newspaper writing standard obituaries and legal ads. A position that required extreme attention to detail and a sensitivity for getting the facts right.
One of my first jobs starting my career in college was at a local newspaper writing standard obituaries and legal ads. A position that required extreme attention to detail and a sensitivity for getting the facts right. Unfortunately, what I didn’t understand about myself in my young ambition was, that I was not good at picking out important details and staying on the rails of editorial structure. Which resulted in one too many obituary mess-ups and an irate editor who hated my guts and immediately fired me.
Now, my journey as a writer has come a long way since that experience. And it would be untrue to say that it didn’t shake my confidence in writing. It did. There is something to say about the stringent editors in your life, they’re honest. Knowing your weaknesses, although sometimes wrenching, isn’t a weakness. It’s a starting point - a clean slate of context. How you evolve from your limitations is a strength. The more honestly you have with yourself about your capacity, the less grueling stabs to what might be your delicate idealistic identity.
So, did that experience (and ones like it) stop me from writing? Yes & no. Writing is nuanced. Kinda like art and mediums. You can expect a certain type of effect from ink and water vs oil painting or even pencil drawing. They’re all very different. It stopped me from writing about things I wasn’t interested in, while also giving me a heavy dose of pay attention.
The difference between writing for writing’s sake and writing from genuine interest and inspiration is like chewing on a dry piece of paper vs an unctuous dried apricot drenched in sherry and sprinkled with cardamom. It has life. While the merits of writing well-researched and fine-combed content go without saying. I’ll say it. It’s important to know your stuff before you spread it around. It’s important to care about the details and, its important to have a generous respect for the audience who might be reading your content.
With that said, I’ve learned my medium as a writer. Where my interests are and where I’d like to explore. Trusting that I have enough in me to produce something meaningful is my starting point. And knowing my constraints and limitations gives me a Plinco checkpoint board to filter through as my work develops and a base to develop from.
Layers
The message in most of my writing comes from a place of reflection. And if you’re a photographer or an artist you understand about composition, light, shadows, and tone.
The message in most of my writing comes from a place of reflection. And if you’re a photographer or an artist you understand about composition, light, shadows, and tone. When those perspectives are applied to how you see your own life, the chaos of a mixing pallet, the deep shadows, and the stark contrast of your black & white photo - start to make sense in the context of understanding development. I am a fan of deep development. The things I enjoy aesthetically have depth, texture, shadows…interestingness. They also elicit emotion. You look at it and it hits your heart in some way. Layers and layers of paint are like layers of your life experiences. They bring something forward you might not have understood or could see without the combined layers of color, tone, and texture. Having a little grace for your life, for what you didn’t understand, and for what others didn’t understand of you, gives room to step back and have compassion for yourself and others. This isn’t justification for the painful parts of your life by any means. It just is what it is. There are many things that contribute to your life circumstances that are out of your control and in most cases are not prepared for. But, the more I step back, the more I can respond to things with a broader perspective and the more room I have to feel what I need to feel about it.
The “Ifs”
It is easy to look back on your life and say, “If I had known”, or “If it was this way” you’re life might be different. But it’s the “if” that gets you. You didn’t know, what you didn’t know. And “ifs” are not productive unless it's coupled with knowledge to make an empowered choice.
It is easy to look back on your life and say, “If I had known”, or “If it was this way” you’re life might be different. But it’s the “if” that gets you. You didn’t know, what you didn’t know. And “ifs” are not productive unless it's coupled with knowledge to make an empowered choice. Although sometimes painful, experienced life knowledge can build a stronger understanding and resilience to changes and a greater empathy for your past self and for others. For me personally, the more I understand my own workings, my own relationship to the world around me, the more I can see how important it is to value how I show up and participate. This hasn’t always been the case and the journey to living from an empowered self-concept has been a bumpy road. Having a great amount of self-acceptance, patience, and care for my life has been a “learned” skill.
The “ifs” can be a useful thing in your life. Giving your brain something to “if” about can produce a little confirmation bias during your day. Where you can start to notice the “ifs” you put out there. So, instead of the “If only it could have been this way” you can “What if” your way to positive occurrences in your life. What if this will work? What if I’m capable? What if this situation can serve a greater understanding? I’m not saying this is an easy thing to do, or remember to do. But the more you can understand and work with your brain’s natural ability to find confirmation, the more open you can be to a positive “what if”.
Garden Space
However, if you are struggling to find the balance between filling your heart’s desires and the practicality of life - hear this - Firstly, every aspect of your life benefits from your presence, and with that, inspired action is open to follow.
One of my favorite forms of entertainment and inspiration is watching process videos. How things are made, and art development. In my opinion, inspired creation is what brings life into life’s structures. It’s not always practical, to live by inspiration. There are so many other facets of life that legitimately require your presence. However, if you are struggling to find the balance between filling your heart’s desires and the practicality of life - hear this - Firstly, every aspect of your life benefits from your presence, and with that, inspired action is open to follow. Part of the beauty of life is discovering what you didn’t know and being willing to experience how you, as a person develop in that experience. And that in itself is inspired creation.
Secondly, inspiration needs a holder, a structure, a process, and a medium. That’s you. You’re the holder. It’s up to you to give your practice structure, and a place to develop, using the constraints you might have in your life as a starting point, not as a hindrance. What you gain in perspective from a situational limit might be an important aspect of how you express yourself creatively.
Inspiration needs a home. It needs a garden. A place to rest, to feel safe, and loved. Give your inspiration the structure, tools, time, and a place to feel free.
It's not always easy, I know. But the first step is making space in your life and commit to being a vehicle for expression - however that looks for you. Build your skills and have faith that inspiration will find you with consistency.
Filter Introduction
I invite you to follow along as InkEyed Studios becomes a space for creative expression and growth.
This is where I’ll post regularly about photography, art, creative processes, as well as personal growth and development as a creative. Some of the content you’ll see here has been migrated from my original site “threadthelight.com” (I‘ll cite it for reference). My goal is to Integrate “Thread the Light’” content into InkEyed Studios as a more complete version of what I’d like to share personally and creatively.
Although I’m leading with photography as a service, I am also an avid artist and writer and will share what I’m currently working on here. I invite you to follow along as InkEyed Studios becomes a space for creative expression and growth.
