Into the Woods

Creativity is really all about embracing the "not-knowingness."

I'm talking about walking into the unknown, going into the woods and following that mysterious path that leads you into a story or a poem or a painting or any kind of original creation. 

Yes, you may have a roadmap--you may be carrying a compass, a Hero's Journey and a oiled Aristotelian Arc in your backpack, but there comes a point when you have no idea how to "Save the Cat" and you must face the darkness, alone.  

You are chilled and tired and hungry and confused.  You have eaten all the apples you packed in your basket and it has started to rain.  Worse than this, you've hit a fork in the road.  Heck, not a fork but a plethora of choices.  Not only this, but there's a wolf howling in the not-so-far distance.  Grandma's house (or the penultimate moment) is no where in sight and you'd like to give up, go back home and forget about this thing called art.

You're deep in the woods, my friend.

 And this is the most exciting point of your journey.  

Breathe.  

Embrace the darkness.

Let it rain.

Inhale the scent of pine.

And now, go forward, bravely into the darkness--the not-knowingness of it all.  

Ah, but I can see a light at the end of the forest.  Can you see it?  

Is it the light of a candle in a well-heated cottage or is it the glinting light in a hungry wolf's eye?  We don't know.  But I can tell you this, by the time you get to that light--the other side of the forest will not look anything like what you expected.

And that's how it should be.  That's how you create fresh art, fresh stories.  

Your creativity prompt for this week is to take a walk without a predetermined destination.  And then, sit own and write or paint in the realm of the not-knowing.  Here's a word to get you going:  "grandmother."

Oh, and have fun!

Love, 

Jamie