Re-entry after a vacation is tough for me. Finding a creative rhythm couldn’t even start until I got back into a normal sleep rhythm and then I floundered about in and out of the studio. I came to value those times when I just straightened and organized so my hands could re-acquaint themselves with their tools and materials. Even scrubbing counters down through the colorful trails of past work was most satisfying. I also began having some dim awareness of how my normal habits either push or pull me into the work. Pushes and Pulls.

I tried some of my normal Push techniques of making lists, reviewing past sketches, and fiddling with schedules for different types of work. These time management tools  did not work very well, nor did reminding myself of a commitment with an art buddy that we’d both finish a piece by the end of the month. Bits and pieces of these Push techniques caught fire for moments but never gained momentum.

In between, I was re-evaluating work in progress and re-visioning where I’m headed. Getting clearer about my goals usually Pulls me into motion, but this time it was not enough to re-connect me with work energy. A more successful Pull was making marks on surfaces and moving fabrics around in collage compositions; this did get the juices flowing a bit.

What finally got me reconnected to a natural rhythm was a combination of Push and Pull. The big Push came at a gathering which included my art buddy; we both got challenged by the group to complete our commitment to finish a piece by the end of the month. Counting up the time available to work provided a big Push through a stuck place in a half-done piece. The lovely Pull was from studies in fabric dying that take only a little time for each step with lots of drying time in between. Once started, the excitement of seeing unexpected results after each cycle really Pulled me along.

So I’m back. The current rhythm of Push and Pull may last through the summer or it may not, but, once again, I’m fascinated by how we, as visual artists, find or flounder our way through cycles of creative rhythm. If you are interested in exploring your own working rhythms in a small telegroup of 5 to 7 people, let me know. It’s one way of getting coaching help and support from other artists on this central issue of creative life without leaving home. Can you tell what Pushes and Pulls your creative momentum? E-mail me about your experiences and I’ll have more information in future newsletters: connect@dianereardon.com.
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II. Energy Management: Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room and the Shrink’s Couch 
Ferris, Timothy. The 4-Hour Workweek. 2007.

Ferris presents us with a package of tools to gain more time for what excites you. One group includes what I’m calling Pushes: consistent control of interruptions, a strict “low-information diet”, and automation and outsourcing of every possible task in your life that you find boring. His tales of outsourcing to MMII (my man in India) reveal much about our resistance to delegating in general and to the new option of hiring virtual assistants. This section is applicable to artists with day jobs and for every artist’s need to streamline marketing tasks.

Getting more time, however, cannot be the end goal in his approach. No dreams of lying about in a hammock here, which he predicts will lead only to boredom. He says the Push tools won’t work unless you know what you will do with more time and more fully automated income. This is the Pull – getting clear about what excites you. Here, artists are ahead of the game since making art is already a big Pull in their lives.
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III. Friends in Print: When you feel like reading
Audette, Anna Held. The Blank Canvas: Inviting the Muse. 1993.

Audette’s gentle guidance offers yet another menu of Pushes and Pulls for whenever you don’t know what your next step is. Because she writes so beautifully, without preaching, this slim book makes for good portable company lolling on the beach, the deck, or wherever you hang your summer hammock.
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IV. Creative Links
As a gift from Italy, I’m sharing the sites of 2 artists that bracket the styles of art currently in Italian galleries:
http://www.museonorberto.com (To get the English version, Google Norbert and click “Translate this Page” on the first citation.) The paintings of Norberto touched me with their direct simplicity. The sweetness of his views of Assisi, described as “naïf” by some critics, reminds me of the love of Italians for their sweet pastries, an art medium of their own.

http://membres.lycos.fr/amerghada In contrast, the current exhibit at Rome’s new MACRO (Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Roma) is the avant garde work of Egyptian Amer Ghada. She pushes the limits of erotica, feminism and fiber art construction. (Yes, those linear elements in Gallery 1 are hanging threads). 
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V. Newsletter Info
E-mail changes. To change your e-mail address, subscribe, or unsubscribe please e-mail connect@dianereardon.com. If you use a spam filter, please add this e-mail address to your list of approved senders. This material is included on the breakTHROUGH Creativity Coaching (website www.dianereardon.com) All material is copyrighted ©, 31 July 2007, Diane Reardon. All rights reserved. Visit the website for back issues and details on scheduling a complimentary one-hour coaching session.
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