We live in an era of sensory bombardment. Beeps, ads, pop ups, alarms, smart watches on our hands, media in our glasses! We are ever available to others’ needs and experiences and this takes our time and attention much of the day.
As a small exercise, close your eyes and try to remember the last time you felt completely at peace. No distractions. No deadlines. No dominating thoughts. Consider what conditions made this possible. Consider whether you can simulate those conditions before you begin the creative process.
Find the time of day that lends itself to surrender. When are you at your best? When is your energy level at its’ peak? When are you in the zone? Setting yourself up for success at the outset gives you the boost you need to go the extra mile, creating new sounds and combinations that have never been heard before.
The creative spirit needs a room of her own. That means creating a sanctuary where your creation can begin to grow and thrive. You may prefer to close the door or use noise-cancelling ear phones, or you may want to blast your favorite song while you work. But take the step of securing your very own art space in the way that serves your work.
Many artists today take the self-preserving step of turning off all alarms, digital tools, and phones during work sessions. Turning your work space into a hallowed sanctuary can be a healthy choice you make for yourself so that your attention is focused and you are “all in”. It’s astounding how productive one can be when our attention is not split or distracted. Giving ourselves the gift of surrender can be incredibly fruitful.
Surrender. The journey from beginning to end may be a surprising one. Allow yourself the freedom to take risks along the way. Surprising words, melodies, materials, references may pop up in your work. Invite them in and see what they offer and add before canceling or erasing. Sometimes these little visitors from your environs or subconscious are the first fruits of originality that only you can produce.
Surrender. The journey of your work can mirror your own journey. One of the greatest dimensions of the human experience is the element of change. Consider how we enter the world helpless and immobile. Within months we can pivot and turn, enabling glimpses of new perspectives. Then we can scoot, crawl, stand, and eventually step into the world. Each stage of physical development provides us with a novel visual perspective of our world. Our visual horizon rises higher as our modes of mobility develop and vary. In other words, as we grow, our world literally expands! This is a fantastic metaphor for our musical creations. As we grow as artists, the possibilities abound. We can alter rhythm, style, lyrics, instrumentation and the expansiveness and expression we can produce is limitless.
Join the Sphereo community of creators and rise beyond the horizon!
