Saturday, June 14, 2008

cold moments

I don't want to keep harping on about drawing funks, but I've had yet another frustrating week. I have realised what the trouble is. A friend of mine always says that I am 'a bubbling cauldron of creativity', and I have to admit that is a good description of how I feel. Usually the ideas are coming through so thick and fast that I don't always have time to catch them. The ones I do grab are added to a list that's as long as my arm. The last few weeks that hasn't been happening. Even my list looks uninspiring and I wonder whatever made me think they were good ideas in the first place. I am looking at things and willing them to become subjects. Forcing them, in fact.

The good news is, though, last night I lay awake until the early hours (or is that late hours?) as ideas and potential drawings refused to let me sleep. Now I just need to find my butterfly net.

21 comments:

Unknown said...

It's almost like we need to be more forgiving of ourselves when we're not being super creative. Love the drawing.

no way said...

Beautiful drawing-I love the loose threads around the edges.

And I know the feeling....glad it sounds like you've come to the end of it!

Jason Das said...

If I had to have an idea before I could make a drawing, I'd never draw a thing.

Glad you've got your ideas back, though. Lovely mitten (or whatever it is)!

Sandy said...

Ah the creative mind is so complex - as frustrating as it must be, I know it will return full force when you least expect it.

suzanne cabrera said...

Wow...it is so interesting reading your words...as they feel like one's I've written or could have written...on at least a dozen instances in the past year. Believe me, I know how you feel sista!

On a funny note, while you were lying awake last night I dreamt that I had a party that all of my blogging friends attended. You were there, France, Gabi, Miguel, Juj, Joan...the list goes on. What was very interesting was the way in which my mind created bodies of faces, bodies and accents for people I have never had the opportunity to meet in person. Very strange, but cool. Anyway, I'd love to have that party one of these days.

Joan Y said...

Woohoo gurl! I expect some pretty fascinating drawings out of you the next few weeks! Did your drawing bug finally come home? Hey, pretty cool dream of Suzanne's! I'm so glad we all had the chance to meet, if only in Suzanne's dream! I have a feeling we'll meet someday! Maybe in the UK, over some tea!

Ann said...

Nice drawing!
I have cycles like that too. Always nice when a productive cycle begins to re-emerge :)

Margaret Ann said...

You may not feel 'It" in your art right now... but know that your well written words draw vivid detailed "sketches" in our minds...hope the butterfly net works! :)

daveterry said...

Why not draw your list of ideas inside a thinking balloon? You could even draw yourself lying in bed with the clock on the nightstand and the moon in the window.
...dave

Lor Lor said...

Hi Andrea
Sometimes our creativity needs a rest to recharge its batteries. I find an afternoon baking or gardening helps.

littlemithi said...

:) Glad you stayed up early/late ...

I'm still feeling the funk (especially after seeing the final years' degree show quality ... am really truly scared...) :(

juj said...

I cannot express how much your words resonate with me - the ideas flying by, the list, the frustration and void when this is not happening, the apathy of the last few weeks. Every time I think I am coming out of it, back into the void I go. Interesting to me that this seems to be such a common state of late amongst so many people. And inspiring to think that if you can come out of it there is hope for the rest of us. Beautiful sock. Beautiful dream of Suzanne's. Here's to both of those things

Unknown said...

i know the feeling, too. great to hear your funk is passing. love this drawing... at first i saw a boxing glove. kind of appropriate :)

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

Thank you all, guys.

Suzanne, I want to go that party!

Lorlor, I agree. I think it is a time to recharge your batteries.

Juj, I'm hearing you my friend. Even though I feel that the ideas are coming back there is still the apathy. I'm finidng hard to even pick up a pen and put those ideas on paper. It's truly amazing how so many of us are feeling this at thie same time. I blame the MoleyX project!!! (Only joking).

Cheers everyone for the suggestions and encouragement.

Desiree's Designs said...

Your stuff is so wonderful, its worth the wait. I hope your feeling better soon. I have been in a weird place too, being creative is hard and if I am being pulled from too many directions I am unable to create much.

Teri said...

Gee, these emotions you have expressed are so relatable. Go grab that net and go for it. No matter what comes out it will be beautiful!

Anonymous said...

I love the mental image of you chasing around with a butterfly net capturing all those cool ideas. I thought of your drawings as I was planning my next drawing for my new blog www.PostcardADay.com. My mother sent me all this random stuff, news clippings, ads, little photo books she made out of photocopies and construction paper, foil yogurt container tops with little messages on them...anyway, I decided it would make a fun drawing all spread out on my bed like your collections of miscellaney drawings. Haven't gotten to it yet though. I have a white board with lists of ideas but do I actually look at it when I'm uninspired? No, of course not!

Anetka said...

I read this sentence today, and it gave me encouragement..."If you are walking through hell, keep walking."
Blocks come and go, very often we experience it as we are growing mentaly or internally (I mean our Soul and our Artist).
So keep walking Andrea:) your work is beautiful:)

Pippa said...

I love this drawing. Love the colour; love the shading. I love it!

wagonized said...

Pippa said it: i love it the way she does :-)

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

Thank you all, folks.

Sosser, a friend also said it looked like a boxing glove. I idn't see it until it was pointed out, but yeah. And, you're right - very appropriate.

Jana, I cannot wait for that drawing!

Cheers, lovely ladies!