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Being Creative Amidst Chaos

The daffodils are in bloom and I intend to take full advantage of them.

Not to be pollyanna-ish, or to minimize other moods that contribute to it, it seems to me that disciplined artmaking requires a pretty open and giving state of mind. Our public context, by contrast, is increasingly tense, defensive, and closed. How does an artist maintain a creative, productive frame of mind in an ever-worrisome, increasingly besieged public environment? 

  Sidney Oliver

Sid, for those of us who work in isolation on a daily basis, this might not as difficult a time for us as it is for others, but each of us can't help but be affected. With the entire nation under some type of self-imposed quarantine and ominous news directed full-steam at us, what better time to let those creative juices flow in a positive direction rather than a negative one?

Being emotionally drained is not conducive to creating drama on a canvas.

Even though I have worked, I haven't been at full throttle in the last four months due to circumstances beyond my control. One such circumstance has been putting together Creative to Creative, which has been postponed until June and that means more planning, an enhanced program, and even more time off from work. I have loved every minute of helping to put it together and, if we are in the clear on June 20, we can all celebrate with what we hope will be an uplifting and fun evening. Stay tuned for a future blog post about the experience.

For a while we all have time for a very long breather and what should we do with it? Paralyzed with fear by living in catatonia while perched in front of a television set would be detrimental to one's sanity.

I vote for pure escapism. And what better way for a painter to escape than by painting and shutting out the world?

A writer could write. Keeping a journal in the midst of this crisis might be cathartic. Doers clean in times of crises. I wish I had that mindset, but I don't. Do whatever alleviates this world-wide stress.

Tomorrow I get back into an uninterrupted painting routine, but today is a perfect time to begin to release some juices as a way to oil that creative engine that needs to chug along at a respectable pace.

I stuffed them in a small vase I had textured and painted years ago.

This won't win any flower arranging award, but it will get me started messing about.

Painting while blocking out the news.

Creating and listening to classical music has a lovely calming effect even if I am doing the laundry simultaneously.

It's ironic that today as I was painting daffodils my friend, CNF writer Nancy McGlasson, from Knoxville, Tennessee, had a Facebook post on the crisis and on daffodils. She is working on two books: Flying Kites at Night and Make Yourself an Interesting Woman and she has given me permission to share her post quoted below.

You all know I rarely post on FB, and when I do it’s usually a mistake, something I didn’t mean to do! But this morning, when I was writing close friends and family an email to let them know that my April writing residency at the wonderful Fairhope Center for the Writing Arts in Alabama has been cancelled, I wrote this in closing: “It’s amazing to see all the changes that can be brought about when we work together. Think what GOOD THINGS we could do as a community and a country and a world if we all joined together and were determined to do them.”

Who would have thought all the changes would occur with such relative speed? We’ve never seen anything like it. Could the world be positively changed by this virus? You know I’m a glass is half full person. Forgive me. But I’m seeing the water slosh out onto the table.

I think we should consider this fact. We CAN change the world. We always could. Of course, it is definitely “easier” when we have a mutually agreed upon “common enemy” and Covid-19 plays that role admirably. We could practice improving other things as a community, a country, and world, with this new unified energy. I’m thinking climate change, cruelty, loneliness, unfairness, hunger, hatred, racism, waste, poverty, sadness and mental illness for starters...we have many nouns to add to the list. So couldn’t we do it?

Politics, sigh, would attempt to get in the way, but let’s begin the practice now of truly working together anyway. If they can sing on the balconies In Siena, that’s a start. If businesses— little and large— can work together to try to save lives, I think we little people can do it too. Already there are brave acts occurring around us. We owe thanks to many in health care and other places. We could all add a little of these aspects to our own lives, too.

But we don’t have to risk our own lives to begin the practice. There are things we can do, staying behind our doors, that will strengthen our unified body of belief! That will make the practice normalized and part of our daily lives.

Now I am a small person, without power. But I think I will begin my practice of making our community, country, and world better and stronger by a simple action. I have some daffodils blooming in my yard. I’m not outside much to enjoy them right now. I will write my neighbors and let them know if they want to come and cut some for their dining room table or to rustle next to their beds tonight as they go to sleep, they are welcome to do so. I will wave from my window or go out and yell “hello” if I see them!

It’s a little thing, but already the very idea of it gives me joy, and perhaps it will give others joy, too.

So change, unification, and joy...dosed with generosity and kindness...let’s practice these things, each in our own little ways. Who knows what might happen?

Stay safe and healthy, all y’all, and don’t forget the joy.

Signed with a socially distant but very real Xo,
Nancy (McGlasson)

Transparent watercolors, gouache, and spattering are helping to make this a fun endeavor. I'll probably enrich it with some more pen scratches.

Letting ideas flow without the pressure of an outcome is quite fulfilling and I intend to 

Enjoy the process! Now it's your turn.

  Ruthie Windsor-Mann

This post is part of a series of Q & As between Ruthie Windsor-Mann and Sidney Oliver. 

We invite the reader to join in with other questions in the comments section. This needs to be interactive in order to work.

All photographs are by Ruthie Windsor-Mann unless otherwise credited.

Copyright 2020 Ruthie Windsor-Mann All Rights Reserved