Mental Kitchen

Why do we take things so seriously? Sometimes I get this paralytic grip that prevents me from drawing that line or writing that sentence. Simply because I feel it had to be perfect (or at least step in the right direction). Yet does everything we create as artists have to be destined for display and appreciation?

I stumbled upon the idea of Morning Pages while reading Austin Kleon’s blog. The idea being that right when you start your day, you write out three stream on consciousness pages. It’s supposed to serve as a way to unlock your creativity by dumping out the thoughts that circle your brain. And get this, everything you put down will never be seen by anyone else.

Well, who the heck has time for that? As it is, my art time is squeezed into the available crevices already. I simply don’t have time to spurt out something that isn’t going to turn into some project. 

But, I sighed and gave it a go. Once, I thought. And just one page. I don’t have time to waste on mental daydreaming. 

Well let me tell you what… I did complete the three pages. And again on the next day. It felt so relieving. The creative spigot flowed simply because I knew this would never be published in any way.

Now I always have some strange goings on in my old mental kitchen up there. But he recipies and words that came out even on the first morning were wild. 

I already have a daily journal. These morning pages seems to serve a different purpose. Yes, they certainly untangle the thicket of tangled thoughts. But even more, they serve as a sort of mood board for my imagination. I can work out ideas here that later I might develop into a story or a drawing. 

I keep it messy and quick. Only pausing to turn the page. 

So in the words of Cheshire Cat: We’re all mad here.

Let yourself go a little mad once in a while. You’ll be surprised where the rabbit hole takes you. 

Tim Kane