Part of explorations of the few weeks with different groups was the idea that “Artists” have to suffer. Suffering is the golden badge almost. Suffer from “lack”. Lack of money, lack of love, lack of resources, lack of acknowledgement, lack of means etc etc. It is such an Unshakeable reality for many. Ofcourse knowing Van Gogh’s story does not help. Mental note :We need more, different stories.
I have often struggled with this as a dominant paradigm. And I have seen many “true cases” that affirm this idea. And yet I find myself challenging this assumption. Surely, if one is creative, one can also creatively find an answer to this, no?
But then, again, the way, I have found many artist friends hold this in their minds, is with an “Or” Not an “And”. It’s becomes the “Source” of their creative identity. My own dad was one of them. It felt like one was FORCED to make a choice between these two lives, between two or even more identities. Ofcourse no point bringing up the collateral damages.
I wonder if there are other ways to think about this. Frame this? Such that even artists can enjoy the abundance and fruits of their own labour(without guilt)
. Sure there are frustrations and anxieties. As an Artist, I am familiar with them. But as Elizabeth says,
Frustration is Not an interruption to the creative process, It IS the process.”
And so maybe a Tranquil Creative life Vs a Tormented Creative life, needs patience and love and gratitude, me thinks.
It does need, I can tell, getting out of my own way.
- Patience with the process
- Love for the self as it struggles to work through things
- Gratitude for the elixir that is brought forth, through you .
I remember reading about Gandhi’s answer to how did he manage to come up with the idea of salt march, and homespun clothes. His answer was a simple, “I strive to make myself zero.”
Arriving at “zero” requires letting go. Letting go of the need for validation and approval. Of being right. Of it having some “meaning” always. Of attaching personal success or failure to the creative outcome.
Perhaps if we do manage to this, it may give immense freedom and power. And then perhaps creativity and abundance no longer have to be polarised. And maybe then perhaps we can experience ourselves and our world more holistically.
Project zero may not be such a bad idea after all.
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