Creative ManiFestival Day 6

One way that "lack mentality" expresses itself is through our desire for, and acquisition of, "stuff".

Because of this, CLUTTER is often directly related to LACK. We grab things we don't need, or do not release things that we no longer need, because some part of us believes that having "things" makes up for a Universe that does not provide everything we need.

There is a very particular way that this affects many artists, and that is the way that lack mentality haunts our beloved art supplies. There is so much "art stuff" that we've acquired, and tons of that we never use, yet we yearn for more. We feel stabs of guilty when we see a particular art tool that cost a lot of money, and we've never used. We spend more time "organizing" our supplies, trying to fight our way through the clutter, than we do making art. We NEED a somewhat chaotic environment full of "the stuff" to keep us feeling creative, yet it also leaves us feeling drained.
If you are not an artist, in what ways do you create clutter with your particular interests? What is the problem clutter area of your life?

TODAY'S MANIFESTIVAL

Write and/or draw and doodle a response to what you just read. In what ways does this specific brand of lack resonate with you? In what ways do it not?

Allow yourself to write for 10-15 minutes along this topic. If you get stuck, consider these prompts:

- When you were young, how were toys and playthings handled? Did you wish you had more or less? How were they presented to you? How were they organized?

- Are there relationships (either direct or indirect) between the patterns of your childhood toys and your current habits and patterns with art supplies and other "creative toys"?

- Are there specific art supplies, tools, or other items that have held on to, even though you know (or strongly doubt)you'll never use them? Why are you holding on to them?

- How much money have you spent on art supplies this year? Do you wish you had spent more, or less?

- Are there media or types of creative expression you'd like to try, but you hold yourself because you don't have the materials? What would you have to do/find/earn/sacrifice in order to get the proper supplies?

- What does the way in which your art supplies are organized say about your relationship with art and creativity?
- What does the way in which your other clutter areas are organized say about your relationship with that activity?

...That's all for now...more tomorrow!


Material copyrighted by Marney Makridakis of artellawordsandart.com. Used with permission by license.