More Like Lame Of Udûn

A lot of made of the fact that most of us are carrying a camera of some sorts around with us at all time now, but there is definitely something to going out with a camera on you. For me, at least, It has me scanning much more, looking for something of interest to document or make a record of.

Now, obviously, the moment above did not require much subtle observation. But having the camera in hand still acted as a motivator. What I've heard Craig Mod call a 'forcing function' that moves you towards a different behaviour. The more I go out with a camera, the more of the stuff going on in the world I notice and enjoy. Whether I take a picture or not.

The last few years I've been a much more avid taker of courses, mostly creative in nature but some at least a little practical. Audio design, pottery, screen printing, joinery, riso printing, just kind of fiddling about to see what makes me fizz. Some of them stick more than others - I'd now call myself a Potter, rather than someone who 'goes to pottery class' - but they've all been a source of joy and creative release to me. And doing them, and feeling that joy, I've been brought to the realisation that my first creative love - writing - isn't doing that.

Don't get me wrong. It's still doing something. I'm not about to stop, and in fact Issue 2 of PuddleJumpers has a script and will hopefully go up on kickstarter in a few months time. But there is a harsh pressure to writing which, increasingly, I want to find a way to reduce, perhaps even remove.

A lot of that, perhaps, comes from it being something that I started when I was young enough to be looking for that one thing that would give my life and existence meaning. And then it became something that motivated my path through university, and even to some degree work. That's decades of history layered on top of something that I originally started because it was fun to make things up. And each layer makes that original motivation a little more faint.

I'm just sharing this here in case you're in a similar boat with your own creative practice, confused why you can't bring yourself to do the thing that your bones remember the thrill of. Taking the time to try other creative practices, or apply yourself in a less pressurised manner might be just what you need. It worked for me. Last week I re-opened a draft of something and, for the first time in years, felt a call to play with the idea again, rather than the pressure to finish.

Alex.