Not All Art-Making Is Making Marks on Paper

My family and I first visited Dirigible Brewing Company in November 2022, soon after they opened for business. There was a welcoming vibe, and we all appreciated a wide variety of handcrafted brews.

But the thing I truly loved about this establishment was their steampunk theme.

Since the facility had only recently opened, there were some decorations but also blank walls and empty spaces. Immediately, the high, wide wall across from the bar called to me.

I could see steampunk figures, dirigibles, and airships, a penny farthing or two. I could also imagine a Grandma Moses style landscape that included various buildings in town. I envisioned a time machine in the foreground that made possible including structures that no longer existed. The Penny Candy Store on the Common. The Clubhouse overlooking Long Lake. Central Hall that was torn down to make way for a playground. This vision cycled around in my brain, offering possibilities.

I decided, 'What the heck? Why don't you propose the idea to the owners?'

I found the brewery's website and looked around for a contact email. I explained my idea and hit 'send.'

Art is so simple.

Dream up an idea. Create the content. Sell the product.

Easy.

The artist envisions a landscape or a mural. They sketch, paint, finish, and frame. They bring the picture to the farmer's market or post it on Etsy. They dream, "I'm rich and famous—no worries at all."

One, two, three. And done!

But the idea of a linear creative process is a myth. A lie. A dream? But in any case, absolutely untrue.

Creatives are not automatons producing pots on a conveyor belt.

We are artists, makers, writers, and sewists who create one-of-a-kind scenes (writers, painters), cakes (bakers), settings—both indoors (interior designers) and outdoors (landscape architects), songs (musicians and composers), and garments (tailors)—that connect with other humans on a subconscious and visceral level.

Making the product may be easy, but bringing an elusive idea to completion sometimes needs time to percolate, simmer, brew, and ferment.

Creatives often have grandiose ideas that, like a pretty butterfly, buzz and bump around in our minds. By their very nature, creatives/artists/makers generate so many concepts that time and finances often put a kibosh on the carry-through.

About a week after I sent my query to the brewery, I received an email from one of the co-owners, Chris. He said, "We want to speak with you further about your idea."

"Wow," I thought, "okay then."

After a few emails, we agreed upon a time and date, and I met with Chris to further develop this idea.

With the virtual wheel set in motion, my creative mind began to gather the skills and the resources to bring this dream to life.

And then, life got in the way. The unexpected death of a family member, my mother's failing health, and my husband's planned heart surgery. I busied myself with work and tried to cope. Meanwhile, an unconscious part of my creative self pondered the mural.

But that's the fascinating thing about the creative process. The artist/creative/maker doesn't have to sit in front of their keyboard or stare at a blank canvas or an unformed block of clay.

We create first in our minds. Whether with intention or not, we think before we write, sketch, poke at the soil, or measure a board or fabric.

Always.

Researchers often use the term incubation for this unconscious aspect of the creative process. "Since incubation or something similar has been reported by so many creative thinkers, one can take advantage of their experience in scheduling problem-solving time. If one has a difficult problem to solve or a theme to write, it is wise to begin early and make a preliminary attempt at solution, then put it away for a while and come back to it later" (Johnson, p. 259).

When we force the process, we compound the angst so often associated with making art. Art can't be rushed. Art knows no shortcuts. Bread takes time to rise, and beer takes time to ferment.

Let the project simmer for a while and see what happens.

But what if the artist/creative/maker needs to jumpstart the process to finish the product. A baker cannot sell the idea of a loaf or cake. "Um, yes. I envision a beautiful three-tiered cake with lavender icing and a trellis of sugar roses." No bride or groom would stand for serving a concept to their guests.

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"For the goal of high-creativity production, our results indicate that simple quantity-based incentives can prime the preparation-incubation-illumination process that culminates in more creativity" (Kachelmeier, Wang, & Williamson, p. 251). A writer could choose a word count. A gardener could measure out a patch of soil or a specific number of seedlings to transplant. A composer could try out notes on a keyboard for thirty minutes, three times a day, for a week.

Try this:

• If you are contemplating a large project, give yourself the time and the space to allow the concept and the idea to percolate.
• Respect your own process.
• Allow yourself to slow down and even get out of your own way.
• Don't force the outcome.
• Know that the art will come.
• And if you need something to jolt this eventual stagnation into action, make an appointment to get started. Put the time and the date on your calendar.
• The catalyst works best if you make an actual appointment with a living person. Then there's no backing out. Your unconscious mind will serve you well when you respect this quiet time.

This past Thursday, I began to put paint on the walls of Dirigible Brewing Company. Is the mural better for having simmered all these months? Absolutely. I'm eager to finish the work now, and I'm thankful to know that creativity is always present.