A Thing Of Beauty (Amy)
Amy says
We don’t make art. Art makes itself through us. But we have to be open to let the muse in. I mean the state of being where it’s not just us doing it. Time passes and you don’t notice. It’s like you’re in a trance. You come out and you feel like you were led on forces beyond you and just touched God. It doesn’t happen every time. For some people almost never. But it’s the reason to make something. It’s the dirty secret of why people are really artists. It’s the chance you get to commune. That high you get from creation when you’re with the muse . . . Or with God or whatever you want to call it. And you come out of it and you’re like how did I do that? It couldn’t have been me. It must have been someone else.
I think athletes know about it too. Scientists. Mathematicians. They all know what it is to get in the zone. It’s just that for me, the way to that thing is through painting … Or sculpting. But the muse won’t come if you’re thinking about your critics. It’s why Fred doesn’t read reviews. It’s why artists drink. That shuts up the critical voices for a little while, at first, but it destroys you other ways I guess. I don’t know. I’m not an alcoholic. But I am addicted to making art with my muse. If you could only access that all the time– but you can’t. Or at least I can’t. But that’s the flaw of criticism.
You think the artist is creating something for you. But she’s not. She’s feeding her addiction. The art is just the byproduct of the process. The art is for the artist, not for the people.