Artisans and Creativity

Traveler, there is no path. The path is made by walking.

Traveller, the path is your tracks. And nothing more.

Antonio Machado. Borders of a Dream

I think we often have a curious relationship with creativity.

We really want it, and pursue it, but the more we pursue it the less of it we get. We end up with "small i" blandness rather than "large I" breakthroughs. Algortithms rather than artistry.

Creativity hates being called on, or instructed. It also hates efficiency. At the same time, if we clear our minds and wait for the muse to turn up, she doesn't think much about that either. She's looking for those who do.

The creativity that changes things, as against just "redecorating" existing things, requires us to put the work in. To pursue our craft, whatever that may be. In those quiet moments of utter concentration on what we do, then she will turn up.

In "Big Magic", Elizabeth Gilbert posits that we don't have ideas, they have us. They look for a likely target and turn up, and if who they tu…