Thank you so much! I appreciate your kind words! When it comes to my creative practice I think it’s not just about what I do, but what I say ‘no’ to. There’s a lot of things I give up and miss out on in order to commit to this with discipline and consistency. You have to love it and want it more than anything. As Stephen Pressfield might say, it’s not making art that’s hard, it’s sitting down to do it.
"...flavorsome pieces of visual poetry..." Yes! Thank you Duane and yeahokben. Love your work, Duane! Your work's been a very inspiring visual prompt during many writing sessions over the past week, like starter fluid in the coffee when the words aren't coming together so easily and paragraphs, if any, are a collage of disparate sentences. Lately, when the words aren't working, or perhaps when I am making them too precious, it has helped tremendously to work in different media. Our little art group here did collage last week and I'm also drawing with ink again. I'm finding that doing the work, in any media, has helped the words find their way again. Thank you!
(Oh, and you also inspired me to clean up, thin out, and repaint my office!)
This such an amazing reply!! thanks so much for sharing this with me! I'm so incredibly humbled and grateful that anything I've shared has been helpful in any way!
"starter fluid in the coffee when teh words aren't coming" - Love that! Such a good line!
There's a lot to be said for what we could call "creative procrastination" - the things we pivot to when the work is stuck or stifled, the little projects we busy ourselves with because some important part of our main project isn't finished brewing. Elizabeth Gilbert says "You might think it's procrastination, but with the right intention-it isn't." It may seem irrelevant and inconsequential to what you 'should be doing', but in fact it's deeply connected. "[I]t's motion", Gilbert says, it's momentum. Which is the most vital thing "because", Gilbert says, "inspiration will always be drawn to motion." Keep moving. Keep Making things!
Loved the interview, Duane! It’s great to hear your voice as your collages were shared on screen. It’s a testament to your commitment to the process and showing up to do the work no matter what. So inspiring as always! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for this post. Your commitment to the craft of making is inspiring and contagious. Reading this makes me want to get back to work, despite the late hour. I love the line about the knowing the meaning of the work-- "Most days I don't know either. But some days I do." That dovetails so well with what you write about philosophy and hindsight. Meaning is made in hindsight too.
Always a pleasure to read your words and see your creative spirit in action.
Thank you so much! i think you’re absolutely right. I think meaning is an activity that also takes place in the rear view. I just finished rereading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, as I was reviewing my notes and highlights working on this post i also came across the passage below, that I think connects to these ideas as well:
“A pro views her work as craft, not art. Not because she believes art is devoid of a mystical dimension. On the contrary. She understands that all creative endeavor is holy, but she doesn’t dwell on it. She knows if she thinks about that too much, it will paralyze her. So she concentrates on technique. The professional masters how, and leaves what and why to the gods.”
Lotsa love Duane. All of this - yes! Replace collages with poetry and it me too. 🖤 Love the line about being a "line cook" - feel that so much. Just put a song up and it ends with the line "turn up" - and yeah, the bit about "showing up" - resonates so much. We got this. I feel your belief in your collages - that's why I think they consistently move me. Wonderful work as always.
Thanks so much! I've been rereading Anthony Bourdain's book Medium Raw. Just finished his essay talking about Justo Thomas. He's the Fish butcher at Le Bernadin. He cleans and preps over 700 lbs of fish single-handedly, by hand, everyday. He works with a unbelievable level of mechanized precision and exactitude. Put my vegetarianism to one side for a moment and I find this incredibly admirable. I have no interest in the ecstatic half-maddened artistic 'genius'. What I most look for in my own process and my own work is this degree of methodical discipline and constancy.
Can't wait to listen to your song! Will be looking for it asap! Thanks again!
Completely agree Duane - if history has taught us anything, it's that the half-mad artistic genius myth leads nowhere except to over-privileged assholes being assholes. Can't stand that vibe. Yep - method, process, self-discipline (never the other kind), consistency, communion, and a healthy dose of respect for the earth and all it offers - this is the way imo. And fragments - always fragments :-) That is something we have in common between our visual and word-based approaches I think. The belief in the fragmentary. Little partial gods - multitudes of them, everywhere - rather than any kind of big "g" (I'm a bit of an animist when it comes to "religion" - at least metaphysically/phorically).
Aw cheers - hope you enjoy it! It deals with some of the same territory you discuss with regards to mental health n stuff. 🖤
Just listened to the interview as well - really great stuff! Loved hearing you talk about your process and thoughts. Inspiring stuff. "Lack of preciousness" - not striving for greatness. When you said: "I just want my work to be done" - that is exactly how I approach poetry. I just want it to be done. Quick, improvised, in the moment. Try everything. Daily practice. All of it resonated so hard.🖤
Thanks so much Neil! Its absolutely the most difficult philosophical truth that I know of, and if will surely take me the rest of my life to learn it properly.
I really liked this pairing. “Ritualistic not philosophical.” It got me thinking because I certainly fall into the camp that would rather claim to be spiritual, not religious, because of how meaningless the rituals were of my early years. But to throw out ritual entirely does mean there is something important that is lost…effective creating, showing up when we don’t want to, trusting a process for a desired progress.
Both sides have value, and both can become warped.
Thanks Brian! If there’s anything our species seems to be particularly exceptional at its the ability to ruin and warp almost anything. Perhaps, like everything, some semblance of balance is the key.
As someone who struggles with persistent depression, “showing up when I don’t want to” is one of the primary reasons I relish ritual. How I feel is fickle. My head is unpredictable. But habitualized routine makes my mental and emotional inconsistencies inconsequential. I do ‘this thing’ at ‘this time’ at ‘this place’ everyday. It’s just what I do. Somewhere in the commitment to monotony is where things start to change. In the elegant choreography of repetitious motion you find grace, you find strength, you find a higher kind of belief. You find all you need.
This is terrific. You've got me thinking about a range of distinctions now.
As I've said, Duane, I love your work. And I am intrigued by how you make way for it, like belief. Like faith. That's wonderful. And impressive.
Thank you so much! I appreciate your kind words! When it comes to my creative practice I think it’s not just about what I do, but what I say ‘no’ to. There’s a lot of things I give up and miss out on in order to commit to this with discipline and consistency. You have to love it and want it more than anything. As Stephen Pressfield might say, it’s not making art that’s hard, it’s sitting down to do it.
Your humble spirit throws the studio door wide open--an invitation to feast.
Food for diverse hungers. Always enough for everyone.
This imagery appeals to me in such a profound way! Thank you!
Also--the video interview was beautifully done. A work of art in itself.
It really blew me away! Better than anything i could have imagined!
Yep. Good stuff.
Thanks John!
"...flavorsome pieces of visual poetry..." Yes! Thank you Duane and yeahokben. Love your work, Duane! Your work's been a very inspiring visual prompt during many writing sessions over the past week, like starter fluid in the coffee when the words aren't coming together so easily and paragraphs, if any, are a collage of disparate sentences. Lately, when the words aren't working, or perhaps when I am making them too precious, it has helped tremendously to work in different media. Our little art group here did collage last week and I'm also drawing with ink again. I'm finding that doing the work, in any media, has helped the words find their way again. Thank you!
(Oh, and you also inspired me to clean up, thin out, and repaint my office!)
This such an amazing reply!! thanks so much for sharing this with me! I'm so incredibly humbled and grateful that anything I've shared has been helpful in any way!
"starter fluid in the coffee when teh words aren't coming" - Love that! Such a good line!
There's a lot to be said for what we could call "creative procrastination" - the things we pivot to when the work is stuck or stifled, the little projects we busy ourselves with because some important part of our main project isn't finished brewing. Elizabeth Gilbert says "You might think it's procrastination, but with the right intention-it isn't." It may seem irrelevant and inconsequential to what you 'should be doing', but in fact it's deeply connected. "[I]t's motion", Gilbert says, it's momentum. Which is the most vital thing "because", Gilbert says, "inspiration will always be drawn to motion." Keep moving. Keep Making things!
Loved the interview, Duane! It’s great to hear your voice as your collages were shared on screen. It’s a testament to your commitment to the process and showing up to do the work no matter what. So inspiring as always! Thank you for sharing.
Too kind Stella! Thank you! He did such an amazing job on the video! Exceptional work that blew my mind completely! Can’t thank him enough!
Thanks so much for this post. Your commitment to the craft of making is inspiring and contagious. Reading this makes me want to get back to work, despite the late hour. I love the line about the knowing the meaning of the work-- "Most days I don't know either. But some days I do." That dovetails so well with what you write about philosophy and hindsight. Meaning is made in hindsight too.
Always a pleasure to read your words and see your creative spirit in action.
Thank you so much! i think you’re absolutely right. I think meaning is an activity that also takes place in the rear view. I just finished rereading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, as I was reviewing my notes and highlights working on this post i also came across the passage below, that I think connects to these ideas as well:
“A pro views her work as craft, not art. Not because she believes art is devoid of a mystical dimension. On the contrary. She understands that all creative endeavor is holy, but she doesn’t dwell on it. She knows if she thinks about that too much, it will paralyze her. So she concentrates on technique. The professional masters how, and leaves what and why to the gods.”
It does feel like you are channeling Spirit through your art, though
That may be true. My job is simply to feed the river. To never obstruct it. To never block it or stand in it’s way. To always keep it flowing.
Lotsa love Duane. All of this - yes! Replace collages with poetry and it me too. 🖤 Love the line about being a "line cook" - feel that so much. Just put a song up and it ends with the line "turn up" - and yeah, the bit about "showing up" - resonates so much. We got this. I feel your belief in your collages - that's why I think they consistently move me. Wonderful work as always.
Thanks so much! I've been rereading Anthony Bourdain's book Medium Raw. Just finished his essay talking about Justo Thomas. He's the Fish butcher at Le Bernadin. He cleans and preps over 700 lbs of fish single-handedly, by hand, everyday. He works with a unbelievable level of mechanized precision and exactitude. Put my vegetarianism to one side for a moment and I find this incredibly admirable. I have no interest in the ecstatic half-maddened artistic 'genius'. What I most look for in my own process and my own work is this degree of methodical discipline and constancy.
Can't wait to listen to your song! Will be looking for it asap! Thanks again!
Completely agree Duane - if history has taught us anything, it's that the half-mad artistic genius myth leads nowhere except to over-privileged assholes being assholes. Can't stand that vibe. Yep - method, process, self-discipline (never the other kind), consistency, communion, and a healthy dose of respect for the earth and all it offers - this is the way imo. And fragments - always fragments :-) That is something we have in common between our visual and word-based approaches I think. The belief in the fragmentary. Little partial gods - multitudes of them, everywhere - rather than any kind of big "g" (I'm a bit of an animist when it comes to "religion" - at least metaphysically/phorically).
Aw cheers - hope you enjoy it! It deals with some of the same territory you discuss with regards to mental health n stuff. 🖤
"Little partial gods" - love that!
Just listened to the interview as well - really great stuff! Loved hearing you talk about your process and thoughts. Inspiring stuff. "Lack of preciousness" - not striving for greatness. When you said: "I just want my work to be done" - that is exactly how I approach poetry. I just want it to be done. Quick, improvised, in the moment. Try everything. Daily practice. All of it resonated so hard.🖤
yeahokben has done a great job of putting that video together. 💪 Excellent to get further insights too.
It’s like a cinematic collage! Such incredible work!
I love how you put this: "My philosophy is showing up and doing the work." Simplified and clear, but not necessarily easy.
Thanks so much Neil! Its absolutely the most difficult philosophical truth that I know of, and if will surely take me the rest of my life to learn it properly.
I really liked this pairing. “Ritualistic not philosophical.” It got me thinking because I certainly fall into the camp that would rather claim to be spiritual, not religious, because of how meaningless the rituals were of my early years. But to throw out ritual entirely does mean there is something important that is lost…effective creating, showing up when we don’t want to, trusting a process for a desired progress.
Both sides have value, and both can become warped.
Thanks Brian! If there’s anything our species seems to be particularly exceptional at its the ability to ruin and warp almost anything. Perhaps, like everything, some semblance of balance is the key.
As someone who struggles with persistent depression, “showing up when I don’t want to” is one of the primary reasons I relish ritual. How I feel is fickle. My head is unpredictable. But habitualized routine makes my mental and emotional inconsistencies inconsequential. I do ‘this thing’ at ‘this time’ at ‘this place’ everyday. It’s just what I do. Somewhere in the commitment to monotony is where things start to change. In the elegant choreography of repetitious motion you find grace, you find strength, you find a higher kind of belief. You find all you need.
Poetically said! 💫
Too kind!!