Upon reading a quote about art (a musing)

I don't believe in total freedom for the artist. Left on his own, free to do anything he likes, the artist ends up doing nothing at all. If there's one thing that's dangerous for an artist, it's precisely this question of total freedom, waiting for inspiration and all the rest of it. -Federico Fellini (1920 - 1993)

I still don’t consider myself “an artist” because an artist, in my mind, is someone who can bring to life creative images that somehow form out of the whispers of muses; those people who can beautifully and miraculously capture life in the strokes of their brushes.  I am, however, a person who loves to create (even when it’s an act of imitation).  I have a little corner in my apartment that I like to call my studio. I have this little blog (neglected as it’s been) where I like to think I create pictures of moments or emotions with my words.

I have to say, it’s taken me a while to get here, this place where I accept my expressions in all their imperfect glory. I know I needed to give myself enough room to grow, to not be burdened by expectation; however, I am finding more and more that it is time to raise the bar. I have been too undisciplined in the name of creativity, in the name of expression. As Fellini would say, I have given myself too much freedom. I am in need of boundaries and deadlines and discipline.

This is just another area of my life, of me really, that needs balance. I have a habit of being an all or nothin’ kind of gal. I need to allow myself some middle ground and realize that inhabiting this place of personal compromise does not negate my passion or dedication. What it does mean is that I can keep both and still leave room for error, for successes, for frustration, for contentment.

So, once again I am reminded how much life has to teach me and how much I am eager to learn.