The Problem with Provisioning
Journal Entry: Tuesday, October 17, 2023
The Problem with Provisioning
Every artist needs tools, equipment, materials and supplies in order to work, to make art. When I was younger I was quite poor and didn’t really have the money to set up a studio like I would have liked but I could usually find a place to sit down somewhere and use a table. I became a collage artist 40 years ago because I could make art out of found trash and small collages didn’t use up much space, all I needed for storage was a drawer. I still make collages and I have filled a lot of drawers since then.
Every artist dreams about an amazing studio, all the best supplies, great lighting, plenty of space, etc. But the lack of that perfect studio is not an excuse for not working. It is easier to be creative when you are battling against limitations. Even if you are dirt poor now, if you have the intention to do so, you WILL have all of these things and more in the future. It is amazing what will accumulate given enough time. You just have to keep going.
START, CONTINUE.
Having a cool studio, all of the material you could ever use, all the latest and best equipment and tools will not make you a better artist. It might feel more inspiring, your studio might be more fun to be in but if you have not disciplined yourself to work when you need to work and learned to overcome creative resistance, your cool studio will mostly just be a fun hangout.
But think about this, even if you have utterly nothing, you can find a pen or a pencil on the ground and pull out paper from trash cans and make drawings or write down an idea or produce a story or a poem.
Lack of provisions is no excuse to miss a day of working and producing.
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