Life, Transitions and the Art Slump

In ceramic class my mantra was "why am I here, what am I doing, and who cares"?  I talked with a very wise woman teacher/ceramic artist: Kathlyn Avila-Reyes about my funk.  

"Oh yes, I have been through that too," She explained, "The way I approach art is different now. It used to be that it just flowed out of me and it was all exciting all the time."  but now, like me she would make something, and she'd look at it and think "so what?"
 
"It's coming back slowly now" Kat said, "but it's not the same.  My advice is just keep working every day, it will return slowly". 

That's what I'd been doing in my ceramics class as I wondered about the way I was feeling.  I kept showing up and working.  At one point I was looking at the scraps of clay left over from my project and I began to see animal shapes.

As I assembled these animals, I went through a process which is hard for me to talk about.  My father was in nursing care.  When I cut the clay to make pieces  fit together, I felt like I was taking a piece of him.  I don't know why, it just felt that way. 

The creatures I made were whimsical and fun, they each seemed to have a story, a life, a presence.  While making them I was in an awful mud-mind, but then I'd look at them and smile.  Even the kiln team members would tell me how much they enjoyed firing these critters. 

My father was fun, had stories and was always joyful.  I felt it was him helping me.  I still feel these animals are a manifestation of his spirit coming through in my art.
 
If you are like me, and Kat and other people of a certain age trying to make your art and wondering about where the juice went, you are not alone. 

In the book Transitions, making sense of life's transitions by William Bridges, the author states "The loss of interest in the accomplishments that motivated your life's first half is matched by a growth of interest in psychological and spiritual matters." 

As we get older we need more personally meaningful activities.  Williams mentions that it is often our decision to develop ourselves that becomes our main focus in later years as we leave behind the goals of the world's definition of success.

I find this statement to be true for myself.  It's important for me to develop my own skills in art as well as teaching.  These things are important for me to do well because I came here with these two  gifts and I want to leave having used the tools to the fullest of their potential.

As I work through the transition of excited all the time to "so what" I am learning.  It's different to work to please myself only and to not please others, or care.  I can see that I can make nice things, fun things, creative things, but my intention is not to market or sell. 

I simply enjoy the process of being creative.  That would be seen as failure - to have skill and talent and to not "do something with it."  And to that I can say, "well, I just do it because I enjoy it, so what?"

If you are going through a similar slump, it's okay.  I've continued to speak with more older woman who remember this time as a transitional moment in life when it's just not as easy to create as it used to be.  But now, they are thriving and living fully creative lives.  

I hope this is helpful no matter your age.  Blocks and slumps are part of life and part of art.  Working through it is important for growth into the new stage of creativity.