On your game

An interesting lesson can be gleaned from the arts by looking “backstage” in order to see the practices that lead up to the final result.  The glimpse at engagement and witnessing the labor pains, looking at the paint that has spilled on the floor, scanning through marginalia, all these all provide clues of how the dynamic energy gets released.

I subscribe to two poets in my reader who are using blogging as a tool for building out their body of work.  Tom Clark has developed a process where images are inspiring his verse.  Dirk Johnson is currently on a tear with a series of narrative sketches. In both poets I’ve been observing an intensity of creative output.  If they were professional tennis players, the TV announcers would be commenting that they are both on their game.  And stepping into the court as their opponent, you would know it, the fire in the eyes would give them the upper hand before the first serve.

It’s been my experience that these experiences of creative flow require the alignment of the whole person.  “All hands on deck” as they say during a raging storm at sea.  There’s a sense that the artist has grabbed hold of the tail of the snake and the electric energy that is pouring through them will go where it wants.  In many ways, the ego is merely along for the ride.

While many will continue to place monetization as the priority of their online efforts, I’d suggest crafting an unruly practice laced with a tinge of madness will take you places beyond your best thought out plans.