SERENDIPITY AND THE MUSE

MUSE (myooz) /myuwz/ n. [count] the imaginary force thought to provide inspiration to poets, writers, artists, etc.: waiting for the muse.

People who are not artists themselves, or who are not involved in "typical" creative activities, often say, "I just don't understand where all those ideas come from". I usually answer jokingly (not so jokingly) that I don't know either, but, please, somebody MAKE IT STOP!!! It IS an amazing process, and I am more surprised and excited about it than anyone. The way it works constantly thrills me. After 50 years of doing this it still happens. In fact more often than it ever did, and seemingly with greater import. For me the ideas never stop. It would take 3 more lifetimes to work through what I see in front of me right now. Of course, many are really just interesting in the brain. When actually trotted out into reality, THEY SUCK. Too many of those, but fewer and fewer with age. "ART" comes to me as TITLES for pieces (words), as wholly formed images (visuals), and as concepts (ideas). It is a constant ongoing process. I never hit the "off button", don't think I could, there is no such "button". It simply does not stop. So I'm always sifting this stew of words, images, ideas. THEN you add in "serendipity"; 1. an ability for making desirable discoveries by accident. 2. good fortune; luck. I wrote in my previous blog, "Salt Fork Festival", about the "gift"of the wooden type. The fair was NOT at all what I could have predicted, or what I expected. And yet something amazing happened at just the right time., out of "no where". As I was getting ready for my new show, "DOGBOY-FACE2FACE", I was wandering around the house wondering what I could do that would be that extra step beyond, that something a little bit better, something special. There behind an easel, where I hadn't looked for a year, were 2 huge pieces of deckle box made paper that I started 15 years ago and didn't know how to finish, or even just USE. They were so beautiful and beyond my current knowledge at the time. NOW here they were, waiting for me and I was EXACTLY ready for them. The images finding life in just moments. (see "5th Muse", illustration for this post). It was PERFECT timing, serendipity.