Jun

29

Working From Abundance

June 29, 2007 |

[-process, essay-]

by Nancy S.M. Waldman

a1a2 a3As we create, we use up media, materials, tools, ideas, time, and our own creative energy. Working from abundance means having a well of resources—more than we need—to create what we want.

b1b2 b3My son used this expression in a conversation about the new songs he had just recorded. I mentioned how much the phrase resonated with me and he said that he had heard it from a professor who used it in terms of writing. In both instances, they were talking about accumulating, creating, way more than is needed for a project and then winnowing it down later to a more refined level.

u1u2u3Not everyone creates this way. I have a friend who writes sparsely and then fleshes out the story after she has the skeleton of it constructed. I’m the opposite. I overwrite and then must be brutal with myself about taking out everything that isn’t necessary.

n1n2n3However, the crucial aspect of abundance isn’t the number of words we write or the collection of materials on our worktables or the amount of paint we have at our disposal. It’s not even about time.

d1d2d3 Time is necessary and without it we can’t create. But, there are people with loads of time who don’t use it to record music, make art or write novels. So having the time will only work for us if we have an abundance of what will motivate us to work, to play, to innovate.

a1a2a3 Working from abundance is more about a certain attitude. This attitude incorporates elements of openness, generosity, fearlessness, confidence. At times, whimsy and audacity. It involves letting go of negatives, so there can be no sparsity of spirit. It’s about not worrying that we will use up all our good ideas if we throw everything we’ve got at a project. It’s about having faith that creativity is a renewable and sustainable resource.

n1n2n3There’s also energy to consider. Creative energy doesn’t have to be about being upbeat and feeling energetic. Many depressed people, who didn’t have the energy to bathe, have created masterpieces. It’s about using what we have to put into the process of creating.

c1c2c3While it’s true there are those instances when the more we create, the more energized we feel, it does have a limit. We have to always be aware of when we begin to feel like a worn-out battery. At that point, the idea is to get away from what is depleting us and re-charge ourselves. Working from an abundance of creative spirit will always result in a more effective creation.

e1e2e3

And perhaps, that’s all we need to remember about abundance. If we can accumulate a deep pool of the attitude of abundance, then we will have what we need to create what we want.

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also posted in: Creative un-Blockers , Creative Cross-pollination , Inspiration , Motivation , Commentary , Essays - Nancy , Process

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Comments

3 Comments so far

  1. dougal on July 2, 2007 9:22 am

    good point that you don’t have to be happy to [have the energy to] create something worthwhile. some of us would never get anything created! ;-]

  2. suzeque on July 13, 2007 12:50 pm

    really thought-provoking article. I am printing it and pasting it into my art journal. thanks!!!

  3. ethel clark on August 14, 2007 8:50 am

    You are so perceptive. It is all about attitude.

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