What not How

At our meeting this month for Art & Soul the word of the day seemed to be WHAT not HOW. I started to read Julia Cameron's book "Supplies". The very first chapter speaks about firing the arrow. Being creative starts with deciding that you are going to do a certain something, the What. Then the how comes along with it. Too often we concentrate on How we will do something and get lost in the process. Get the What, then start. Simple.

I fear too often that we critique each other's work with too much How instead of listening (key word) to each other's What. As in What message we want to send, or why a subject is important enougth to us that we had to paint it. This ties into what I have said before about getting passion in our work. Passion doesn't come from How, it comes form What and WHY.

PS. Get Julia Cameron's book, Supplies, WOW! It rates right up there with Art & Fear.