John Cleese on Creativity, Part 4
For the previous three issues of Leaky Springs News, I have been writing about John Cleese’s mini-lecture on the habits of creative people.  He said, essentially, that people who are the most creative:

1. Carve out a physical (and emotional) space for themselves, where they can become immersed in their work, undisturbed by the everyday distractions of life;
2. Allocate a specific chronological time to work, and show up every day;
3. Let that time be “sacred” and open to inspiration, and the possibility of “flow”;
4. Have confidence in their work;
5. Allow humor to be a part of the process.

Now, I will elaborate, to the best of my ability, on #4 and #5 – confidence and humor

I am not always confident of my work.  I have confidence in most of my skills, and many of my ideas, but sometimes (often) the completed work doesn’t come up to my hopes.  When I peruse the images of my art inventory, I sometimes notice a piece and wonder why I still have that thing.  First of all, it didn’t sell, and second, I am glad it didn’t, because it’s really a piece of junk. I regret the amount of junk I have foisted on my unsuspecting public. When I get to that point, I destroy it (usually by painting over it with gesso)

 Conversely, I sometimes begin to notice other artwork I have created, and and think, "Wow! I did THAT? I can draw anything I want!" and I suddenly believe, “Damn, I’m good!”  

I know somewhere deep inside when what I am making is truly Mine. But how do I REALLY know the difference between what's "good" and "truly Mine", and what's just "Eh"?

Meditation helps give me courage when I need to get in there and root around. Beyond that, though, I have begun to ask myself this simple question:  “What did it feel like to make that piece?”  (and, yes, I almost always can dredge up the same feeling, even if I didn’t recognize it at the time.)

The answers range all the way from anxiety (“Gotta get this thing done for …”), to neutrality (“Hmmm,?”)  to love (“What happened to the Time? This is FUN! – I want/need to do more!") (Gotta admit, though, sometimes the “fun” ones are just simple exercises that are entertaining, at best)

There is no secret formula for becoming more self-confident. Sometimes you just have to go into the studio and paint like the artist that you are. If you can do this one little thing, you will create work that is authentic and meaningful.

And now a word about humor: #5.  Of course, we know John Cleese is creative AND funny. But what about the rest of us? 

Recently, I participated in a committee meeting to gather ideas for new events in our little town.  At times, we can be a rather humorless bunch, but on this day, with just the three of us, we were able to relax and enjoy a true brainstorm session – one in which we didn’t censor anyone’s idea.  There was lots of laughter that had “nothing” to do with the matter at hand, but it somehow brought us back to the subject with fresh eyes.  
 
 At home, I often create “Clusters” – some people call them bubble maps – where I join thoughts together about a particular topic in connected comic strip balloons, just as they come to me.  I write down every idea, even the silly, off-the-wall ones – ideas that don’t even seem to fit anywhere at first. The end result looks something like a model of a molecule for some exotic, petroleum-based substance. When I start to giggle, then I know I am making progress.