Silence

To be an artist, you need to exist in a world of silence. 

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois is right, we need to exist in silence.  It is a part of the creative process.  Whether we create in quiet or not, silence is a necessary component of the creative life, our creative practice.  We need to create 'a world of silence'.  As artists, we think, we ruminate, we ponder.  We consider what we create and silence gives us the time and space needed to birth our ideas.  

Silence connects us with our being; it allows us to be - to breathe, to be still, and it allows us to connect with something larger than ourselves.  Silence gives us the permission to be within ourselves, to tap into our creativity so we can create. Silence rejuvenates us in a way that no other activity can.  It gives us permission to let go of matters that weigh us down or hinder our process.  It brings relief to the chaos of the day. 

Art making is both physical and mental.  The observation, critiquing, contemplating, revising, and doing all comprise the creative process.  Silence allows us to be in that process, it allows the flow to happen from our brains, our spirit, to our hands.  It connects us to the Spirit to revive us and bring us to a place of creativity.  It truly is a gift, one that we need as artists to embrace to nurture us so we can do what we were created to do - create.