A Creative Burst

It has been several months since I posted here. Fortunately much of my creative time has been spent working in new directions, both in my painting and on a new creative interest: ceramics.

As the vaccines were becoming available in January, and we ushered in a new Administration, spring was approaching in this warm desert city. A budding optimism was taking hold and I began thinking about the nature of change. There was a tiny but growing sense that things were moving in the right direction. I still felt I was inside, looking out toward the world with hope, rather than that the world had fully opened. But I was inspired to paint my experience of this time. It soon became clear I was beginning a new series which is entitled “Transitions”.

Imagery came in the form of separated spaces, apart but also together and influencing each other. During most changes we proceed in a direction, aware of both the now and the different future. The work expresses my experience of being “here”, looking toward “another”, and bridging the transition of “passing through”.  

Of course life is full of transitions, and during this phase of inspiration I was more aware of the process of change all around me. It is not surprising that my interests expanded and I felt inspired to connect with life in a more immediately tactile, 3 dimensional, and social way. I started a beginning ceramics class at a nearby studio and am very attracted to the wet clay and the sculpting aspects of hand building ceramics. For now I am enjoying learning this new creative method.

The struggles of the past year are not forgotten, but a sense of growth, opportunity, and even delight has given my creative life a boost. It was important to continue to pursue creative work even (maybe especially) when times were tough, but there has been quite a bit of joy in this new creative burst. I am grateful, and pursuing this phase with less attention given to writing and more to the practice of making. I think the nature of creativity benefits from grabbing inspiration with gusto when it presents.