little scraps of paper : marcus oakley


Last week got away from me and I didn't end up posting here at all. Never-mind, today I'm back and ready to share with you a recent find called Little Scraps of Paper. I remember visiting this site ages ago but had forgotten about it.

To quote directly from the site — "Little Scraps of Paper is a series of short documentary films about how creative people develop ideas and thoughts and what they keep them in."
 
The above film by Lima Charlie is with one of my favourite artist, Marcus Oakley. In it I love the way Marcus talks about his surrender to creativity and how he isn't concerned with controlling outcomes. This sounds like such a free state of mind to create from, without fear of stuffing up. I hate to admit it but sometimes I don't start a project or an idea because I think too far ahead about all of the the things that could go wrong. Ultimately this leads to procrastination and far too many ideas left unexplored. The following line from Oakley indicates to me that he creates in the ultimate state of flow.
 

"I'm never really sure if I'm controlling the line or the line is controlling me." - Marcus Oakley


I reckon I could do with taking a leaf out of Mr Oakley's book and just get on with things, stuff ups and all! I'd love to hear from you. Do you have trouble staring projects? Do you have any useful tips for getting past your creative fears?

2 comments:

misako mimoko said...

what a nice post and nice subject Evie :)
I recently read something about the creative process from Emily Martin that touched me, because i felt the same thing while making my stuff. http://theblackapple.typepad.com/inside_a_black_apple/2013/05/one-of-these-days-ill-sail-in-a-sea-monster-carriage.html

In my case there's curiosity and a needing of making it just to know how this idea/character/thing that lives in my mind will look like when it becomes physically real. Fear of getting wrong is less strong than the needing of making it real, when I get distracted and it doesn't look like my unconscious idea... i redo it until i got it, it's a question of time and stubbornness.

Melissa G said...

Every day I am faced with fear screaming in my ears. Maybe that's why I have tinnitus. Some days I am able to get on with creating. And other times I am overwhelmed by my ever nagging fears. I love the days when I get over the creative block, coz I have something to show for it.