Many years ago I took a copywriting course, and we were read a quote (I can’t remember the full quote or who it was from) attributed to a high profile professional copywriter that was along the lines of “Give me the freedom of a tight brief”.
No they were not talking about their undies…but the ‘creative brief’ that a business gives to a designer/marketing team/copywriter to design the campaign from. Having the constraints of the brief allowed the creative team to focus their energy in one area – rather than the startling vastness of…well…everything.
That’s what I often feel like (and I know many other artists feel the same) with my art making. I decide that I am going to journal because I want to make art – not because I have a problem to solve or a message to get out…that’s a whole different situation – but using my visual diary just because I want to create ‘something’ is too loose a brief. I look at the page, and I choke. I wait for my muse…and…nothing!
We hear about the ‘paradox of choice’ and there are many studies revealing that more than 3-5 choices and our human brain can’t process. It becomes too hard. So a blank page….oh my!
That’s why the ‘something a day’ projects are so popular – they give people the freedom of a tight brief.
So, to get your muse to come out and play, sometimes you have to just tighten the paramaters a little. Subscribe to some restricted daily musing e-courses or jump on Pinterest and make the first thing you see THE thing you will use as inspiration.
Design your own creative brief a few minutes before you start, grab yourself a coffee or drink and then when you sit down to play your muse is already warmed up and might even be waiting! And if she’s late? Just start scribbling and scrawling and doodling and playing and having such a great time that she just can’t resist and jumps on in.