Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify. – Henry David Thoreau
Simplify. Sounds so easy but here I am, once again, learning the lessons of simplicity. To ask myself if I really need to do ________(fill in the blank) or is it a distraction? Does this painting need this level of detail or am I fussing too much? Do I really need to do this chore or is it busy work?
Getting too ‘fussy’ results in chases down rabbit holes and procrastination.
I have to stop myself and ask “Who made up this rule anyhow? My standard? Or someone else’s?”
A good case in point is my MuseLetter. I can get so caught up in what the ‘gurus’ say I must do that I overcomplicate things. It’s far more important to listen to what my subscribers say they what.
When I simplify, everything else flows
Time and again, people tell me they like the MuseLetter I send out because its simple and short. They can take a couple of minutes out of a busy day to be inspired.
That’s also the reason I like it. It’s simple which means it doesn’t take hours to create but it keeps me in touch. When I try to get “fancy” I end up procrastinating.
The same thing works in my paintings. When I keep composition pared down to the essentials, I feel a different energy and I find people respond to it differently.
In my art work, it’s the same question. “What does the viewer want?”
The simple answer for me is they want to share my experience. Keeping it simple feels lighter and I like the idea of inviting my viewer to be part of the creative process as their imagination fills in the details.
Embracing simplicity
So my creative mantra is “Simplify…simplify” because who doesn’t love it when life flows along easily?
What about you? What keeps you in flow?
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