Civil War and Our Headspace

This weekend I spent some time reading Civil War Sketch Artists. Aside from the incredible context of their work, these men offer a few insights into the headspace of creative habits and fruitful output.

With no safe-space to create. No art lab, studio or desk. Supplies rolled up in a bundle and their paper incredibly limited, it seems the key to their success and fruitful output was their headspace; their ability to focus on the topic, the sight, the grand and terrifying purpose at hand.

When everything else was up in the air: canon fire, bullets, shrapnel, screams and shouts and blood and death up close... their ability to focus on the goal of recording the day's events and do so with a steady hand and clear mind, staying on task to the end, is worth learning from. They're a forgotten model of finding that space in our heart and mind and soul that prepares and propels us for the craft of the day.

What's your daily rhythm for shaping your headspace? What are the obstacles? What are your stalling techniques? Figure these out and you'll find a more fruitful creative win.

Catching the Feral Hog Within

Learn the craft. Do it. Whether through schooling, mentoring, library books, YouTube and self discipline trial and crash and build and burn.

Then take the risk and wildly create your own version of it all. You know the possibilities, the capabilities of your medium and your knowledge and your experiences. Go hog wild in creating and those "rules" will subconsciously guide the methods in the madness.

But before you fly off the edge of all things divinely human, catch the feral hog within. Don't try and domesticate it again, but give it a wide range to roam upon and create within healthy boundaries... before it eats you.

On a side note: My faith has worked this journey. An early and deep study of the Story of Christ early on, through a wild exploration of what that looks like here in the dirt, and more recently into a wild blend of ancient theological truths about the reality of Christ with a purpose-filled adventure in the wilds.

So where are you at? Foundational learning, feral wilds OR roaming pastures in creative pursuits and faith?

Curious Can-Can: Lexicon

Happy Lexicon Thursday! Check out this excerpt (egg-zurrpt) of Chapter Three of my upcoming book about words about building up the home.

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/ C /

Kids are naturally curious. Which makes sense considering the divine notes playing their song. That curiosity is a potent elixir for the soul. It cuts through the fog.

Several years ago I stumbled across a curious book at a small ocean-side bookstore in the Outer Banks. Page after page of famous authors' quirky writing habits. It rocked me. I started settling into my own creative habits, like spending time in Scripture and prayer before writing a single word. Making exactly six cups of Breakfast Blend before the sun creeps up. Wearing a thrift store sports coat while creating.

Which made me think about how parents are like artists, quirky co-creators. Some of us are more curious than others, of course. Some moms paint with broad strokes, while some dads listen for the singular tuning of each one of their kids. And some parents think creativity is a waste of time.

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Keep an ear out for my forthcoming A Lexicon of Awesome: spiritual thoughts on words under our roofs in spring 2020.