Jamna's questions

Jamna: How can I motivate myself to be creative when I've been away from it for a while?

Michael: An easy one to answer but a possible struggle to perform.

So, imagine I'm a dentist and you email me telling me you haven't cleaned your teeth for a while and how can you get back to doing so. Uhm! I would say, best thing to do would be to start cleaning your teeth; the proper way, up and down and twice a day. Problem solved. Then, being a dentist I would probably send you a bill for £300.

So, doing by doing, making by making. If you do, it's done (and the world is a brighter place). If you don't, it's not (and the world is a little duller)

And just as not cleaning your teeth makes you feel lousy, so does not creating beyond yourself.

Got it?

And remember how painting makes you feel good, even though there are initial struggles and mental knots to untie.

Well, you may ask, what's stopping the action?

Answer; the day to day mind, that's what.

It hates anything new and just wants you to chug along on two cylinders, always pulling you back to your default state because that's where it can control you.

But you know from your Italian venture that the you it assumes is you is merely a construct which wants you to listen repeatedly to its dull monotony.

The creative Jamna whom you were thrilled to meet and who pulled aside the veils of your hidden self, that's the real, everlastingly there Jamna. Don't be hoodwinked.

Wake up.

And clean your teeth!