Help Desk 4 Creatives: Clarity
By Merritt Minnemeyer
arttimesjournal March 7, 2018
There are few things more powerful than a life lived with passionate clarity. ~ Erwin McManus
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Clarity can be elusive. Distractions come in sizes large and small. Obligations and responsibilities can weigh us down and detract from our focus on meaning, value, and worth. The business of busy-ness sometimes feels necessary, and yet it is most often in stillness that clarity comes and wallops us with new insight.
The winter months are ideal for stillness. With relatively little fanfare around holidays or major events, the chilly, sparkling snow (in the Northeast, at any rate) quiets us down and affords us the chance to pause, reflect, and begin looking ahead to the opportunities of spring. For artists, this can be a time of deep inspiration, and also perhaps of solitude. That psychic space is rife with inspiration and, if we allow it, moments of clarity that can inform how we make our next steps in career, in our creating, in our relationships, and beyond.
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Call it vision, call it connectedness, call it “in the flow” – whatever name you give it, this clarity is the basis for our passionate drive to create. It is our direct link to who we are at our core, and allows us to direct that passion into work that speaks to those around us. Through it we share precious pieces of ourselves, and in turn open up to that sharing from others, through art, or otherwise.
In the coming weeks before spring blooms, provide yourself some time and space to re-engage with your clarity. Ask yourself “Am I creating authentically? Am I communicating all that I need to communicate through my work? What might I change in my practice that will bring me closer to the core of who I am as an artist? What do I need to up my game?” Perhaps the answer is as simple as a change in nutrition, physical activity, prayer or meditation, or time with family and friends. Perhaps it is something altogether new for you. If the answers don’t come right away, that’s ok. Keep asking every now and again. Eventually you will discover what you need to bring your art to the next level.
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For more information on practicing clarity, see the articles below,* or research “practices for mental clarity.”
https://personalexcellence.co/blog/brain-dumping/
https://www.leadingagile.com/2017/03/get-clarity/
*These are examples, not an endorsement of the particular writers or content.
Merritt holds a BFA in Acting, an MPS in Humanistic/Multicultural Education, and is a life-long practitioner and educator in a plethora of artistic media. She is pleased as punch to be serving the arts community in her current role as facilitator of funds after nearly 20 years as a funds-seeker. She lives in Ulster County with her three vibrant sons, and two goofy pound pups, newly adopted kitty, and one remarkably darling husband.
Have a question, comment, or a suggestion for a topic? Merritt would love to hear from you! Please contact her at grants@artsmidhudson.org