Information Overload!
Is it only me, or do you also feel a tad overwhelmed at the amount of information we have to wade through and process every day? Not only that, apart from the sheer mass of information, there is also the the tangle of conflicting information, conspiracy theories and government misinformation.
Now you may wonder why I am discussing this in a post on an art blog. The simple reason is, that as an artist, I need to have an uncluttered head. When I create, many of the insights and moments of sheer brilliance ;) come intuitively. Now guess what - intuition cannot be heard over or through the clatter and clutter of a mind and spirit filled with outside flotsam and jetsam.
A constant chatter of media fills our lives on so many levels now...... TV, emails, texts, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, online gaming and You Tube to name a few. It is so easy to be distracted.
Creativity requires time to incubate, it is after all a kind of birth. I think the picture above is a perfect illustration of this problem. We are being pulled in so many different directions - and look at those wires. They are tangled and fraying, like our nerves and serenity.
What then is the antidote?
There are a couple of things I can recommend.
Firstly, stop buying in to the distractions.
How many of you watch the news daily, or more often even?
How much time do you spend on Facebook or (Insert your addiction), a day, week etc?
So that is the first thing: wean yourself off these platforms, especially the news. Ninety nine percent of the news is bad, so what is that doing to you, filling yourself up with it everyday? No wonder there are so many depressed people around!
And when you are carrying around that negative headspace, it has a direct effect on not only your mental and physical well being but your ability to create. Not only do you not feel like picking up that pen, paintbrush or guitar but you will find it difficult to focus and find inspiration when you do. The mind can be the greatest friend or the worst enemy. To create effectively we actually often need the mind to be still and quiet, only speaking up when it is asked to do so.
The second thing I can do to help me into a creative space is to spend some time in nature. Get outside, breathe deeply, fresh air is a wonderful tonic and if possible I put my bare feet on the earth. The earth's energy is very grounding and healing and I can take in her energy through the soles of my feet. When I return to the studio I feel restored and energized. Try it some time.
Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay