No. 33

It is only a matter of time.

[No. 33]

HOW DO I FOLLOW MY CREATIVE DREAMS—AND MY DREAMS FOR THE WORLD—WHILE STRUGGLING WITH FINANCIAL INSECURITY?

A guest post by poet & MBA editor Verônika Lewis Shülman.

A few years ago, I was given a Christmas gift by a corporate client. It was a short stack of books on the three things that artists consider: Magic, Doubt, & Time.

The thing is: the only one of the three that is up to us is Time. 
The other two are sort of unruly.

Poet Verônika Lewis Shülman at a young age

I am interested in the negative space (in your life & mine) in between tasks. 
There is a holy time of day. 
How will you carve it, honor it, build your life around it? 

Sometimes, I bribe myself.
Each morning, I make a delicious tea called Maiden’s Ecstasy. Then, I sit.
I make time to free-write about god-knows-what, sky’s-the-limit. On paper. Often it comes out messy, like a child or another language almost.
Then, I go for a walk. (I roam the streets for cheap candles, second-hand writing utensils, foraged flowers, etc. I collect wooden frames for pictures of my ancestors, & I create writing spaces in my house. I bring things back for my desk, like a bird & her nest.)
Then, I do client work through the afternoon (book editing & creative agency type things).
I also do transcendental meditation, which keeps me from going crazy. 
Then, I make dinner.
Then, I rest.
I also take breaks throughout the day! I recommend books or movies instead of internet-ing, if possible. My daily itinerary is relaxed, yet exact.

This monastic approach keeps me feeling centered.

The main trick, which I think is affirmed by Mary Oliver & J.D. Salinger & so many other great artists, is to make the time & space for yourself, even when you don’t feel inspired. The art is bigger than you. It comes from somewhere mysterious. All you have to do is build the temple; you are the monk (not the god).

The secret reward: your off-time is actually off-time. There is a Tom Waits quote that I’ll butcher along the lines of how he used to be annoyed if he had a great idea for a song & he was driving along PCH. Then, one day he looked up at the sky & had an epiphany. He said, “I’m in my studio eight hours a day. If you’d like, come find me there. Otherwise, please leave me alone, & go bother Leonard Cohen.” 

The doubt is working on its own (not your domain).
The magic is working on its own (not your domain).

The time is your domain. Even the best dancer in the world still has to go to class nearly every day of their entire life. Become a trustworthy muse to your muses; meet them in the same place at the same time. Here are a few great phrases we love from Rick Rubin’s new-ish book, The Creative Act. 

• If you’re looking for the work to support you, you may be asking too much of it. We create in service to art, not for what we can get from art.

• It’s okay to have a job that supports your art habit. Doing both is a better way of keeping the work pure. 

• There are jobs that demand your time but little else. You can protect the art you make by choosing an occupation that gives you mental space to formulate and develop your creative vision of the world. 

• Another choice is to seek a living in the field you’re passionate about. It may be a gallery, a bookstore, a music studio, or a film set. If no jobs are available close to the action, ask if you can moonlight as an intern. 

• You can also pursue an unrelated career that provides security while keeping art as a hobby, a hobby that’s the most important thing in your life. All paths are of equal merit.

It can be hard or impossible to dream when stressed about money. You might start by making money (even if it’s not a lot) at, say, a bookstore or record shop. In the words of Rick Rubin, “Consider another way to make a living. Success is harder to come by when your life depends on it.” Get thrifty by having picnics with friends. Redesign your wardrobe by cropping tops in your closet. 

Lay the foundation, then build the house. 
This is your chrysalis. 
Because Alien, money has been created by the gods, for you. 
Your dreams are waiting, patiently.

שַׁבַּת שָׁלוֹם‎

[For more of Verônika’s writing, take a look at fromyourlipstogodsears.blog. If you are in Los Angeles this coming weekend, please join us for a reading of Promiseland, Verônika’s play about her ancestors.]

WHEN & HOW WILL YOU CARVE OUT SACRED TIME FOR YOURSELF EACH DAY IN THE COMING YEAR?