Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Creativity, time and the lack thereof

Author Elizabeth Gilbert recently tweeted this: "Traditionally, women have always made their art out of stolen materials and stolen time. They made art 1) to beautify, 2) to not go mad."

She expanded on this on her website, and on Facebook, referring to a blog entry she read, which ralked about the tweet quoted above.

"She [the blog author] was writing in response to something I said in an interview, about how women have always made their art using stolen time and stolen materials. (An example I always give is the traditional art of quilting — an art form which women have always made in borrowed moments, using literal rags...and what do they make out of that compressed time, and those lousy materials?  Masterpieces of singular beauty.) The time that women have traditionally been given for themselves and for their creativity has never been perfect. It is still not perfect. Yet somehow, generation after generation, women have found ways to be creative, anyhow. (They have to, or they will lose their minds.) They gather the rags and the dregs, and they stitch it together into something amazing. Is it the ideal environment in which to creative? No. But they make it work. "

 Go here for the whole entry, which is well worth the read.

What do you think?  Do you have enough time to create?  Do you make time, or filch it from other things you're supposed to be doing?  What's your biggest obstacle?

5 comments:

Clio said...

Interesting post! I am actually at a crossroads. Through my 30's I've had time and materials/funds, but now (at almost 39) I'm expecting my first child and it will no doubt impact my time and creativity. I wonder/worry about how I will be able to fit creating into my life in a meaningful way in the future.

RhondaBuss said...

What exciting news!!!! Congratulations :)

RhondaBuss said...

As women, we juggle so much on any given day. I agree about the stolen time. There is one more aspect though, the feeling of guilt when you are working away on a project but feel that you should be taking care of your home or your family. It's difficult to get to a point where you value the time spent on yourself as being important.

badmomgoodmom said...

You know that old financial planning adage, "Pay yourself first!"? Can that apply to time as well?

Why does my family get to steal my time by not picking up after themselves or planning ahead? That's theft.

When I sit down and do what I want, that is not theft.

Little Hunting Creek said...

When my kids were young it was so difficult to find the time to sew and paint, but I did do it whenever I could. I do think we need to give ourselves permission to take care of ourselves first. I think of this in the spirit of putting the oxygen mask on me before them. Because if I don't have oxygen (time to write, create, sew, paint) I can't help anyone else. I can't be my best self without being all of myself, and they will learn that lesson about their lives if I model that in mine.