"T H E R E  I S  N O  S U C H  T H I N G
A S  P U R E  P L E A S U R E ;  
S O M E  A N X I E T Y  A L W A Y S
G O E S  W I T H  I T"
Ovid

"I T  I S  O N E  T H I N G  T O
P R A I S E  D I S C I P L I N E ,
A N D  A N O T H E R  T O  
S U B M I T  T O  I T."
Miguel de Cervantes

"S E L F - D I S C I P L I N E  
W I T H O U T  T A L E N T  
C A N  O F T E N  A C H I E V E
A S T O U N D I N G  R E S U L T S ,
W H E R E A S  T A L E N T  
W I T H O U T  
S E L F - D I S C I P L I N E
I N E V I T A B L Y  D O O M S
I T S E L F  T O  F A I L U R E."
Sidney Harris

"I used to work in bursts of intuition. Now I find the very process of working step by step fuels my imagination." -- Anne Truitt

I am currently enrolled in a creativity self-coaching class with Eric Maisel. He sometimes gives us quotes and asks for our responses. I have found myself thinking lot about this one by Anne Truitt.

I like the quote and I certainly can relate to it. When I was first starting out I experienced my creative life as a series of creative "bursts" interspersed with anxiety. Although I still experience both the creative bursts and the anxiety, I have managed to develop a working strategy that I can rely on.

In the early days of my life as an artist I generated a seemingly endless list of design ideas. I often overwhelmed myself because I had not yet developed a way to hold on to them or evaluate them. I thought I needed to make everything that popped into my head.

Of course my anxiety was not limited to too many ideas. I was also anxious about being seen, being good enough, not knowing how to do the things I imagined, and much more. My anxiety interfered with my productivity.

I had to give myself a shake, actually many shakes. Instead of focusing on what I did not know I began to focus on what I did know. I started to apply my considerable organizational skills to my creative work. I made schedules for myself and I began to prioritize my ideas.

Over time I learned to redirect myself by asking what I know to do in when I am experiencing distress. This is enormously helpful because most often I get stuck when I project several steps ahead. Usually there is no reason for me to know how to finish something that I have just begun, but I always know something to do to move my work ahead.

Three concepts from Eric's work have also been consistently useful in keeping me on track. First the concept is "choosing the work"; second is "doing the work in front of you; " and third is "working in the middle of things." These have been enormously helpful to me.

I have learned not to rush into a project but to allow time for choosing. Once I have chosen, I maintain my focus the current project. If new ideas come to mind, I record them for later consideration and return to my work. Inevitably my busy schedule intrudes on my creative life. In the self-coaching course I think I have mastered the concept of working in the middle of things. No matter how busy I am I find time to work

As I have become more comfortable with my role as an artist, I notice that I continue to work in a more or less orderly fashion. I find that even in the midst of high anxiety I am able to return to my work. I talk to myself about what is happening and how I need to keep going. Whether or not I feel inspired, I go to work. I hold the intention that I will create. I remind myself about my commitment to my work. And, I enjoy the intuition and inspiration when it appears.