When Your Inner Artist Checks into the Witness Protection Program

I have always said that every artist fulfills two roles- witness and creator.

To form art of any kind, you first have to be a witness. You need to observe.

And quite frankly, in this regard, your inner artist may not be the best at self-restraint. I forget sometimes that my inner artist is always “on” in response to possible material from which to create.

The past week has found my inner artist playing with the following ideas:

The strange happening of physician’s providing running commentary during pelvic exams; how difficult holidays can be for children of divorce; does God want me to change; that my husband, who seldom talks, becomes a veritable Chatty Kathy when we are in the hot tub together, and so on and so on.

Some think art derives from a linear process. I am here say otherwise. It’s scattershot at best.

Once something is witnessed by the inner artist, the event can be transformed by the creator. There is substantial power in this act- transforming events, ideas, perceptions, and I think as artists we take great joy in this aspect. To be able to transform something and make it yours is a heady power trip.

But lately, I have found my inner artist has checked itself into the Witness Protection Program. As this past week shows, it is MORE than happy to witness, but it would rather not come out and create.

When I think to my inner artist, “Hey, want to make some art?”

I am met with a rather blase- “No more. I want to be left alone.”

There is a part of me that wants to dig into this hesitancy. I want to question- am I tired? do I feel too off-center to create? Am I bored? What is going on?

And my inner artist, ever the observer, simply says, “You think too much. I just want to take a break.”