I cannot stress enough the importance of writing daily. Whether it is done in a journal, sketchbook, or on the computer – an artist needs to write daily. If you have ever had the experience of a profound insight while talking something out to yourself or to another person, then you know what I mean. (This happens to me a lot in the car for some reason.) Writing allows for an open stream of consciousness that leads to new ideas. Sometimes it is really hard and I have to force myself. I will begin by writing the most mundane things – what I am doing at that moment, what I dreamt about the night before, or what my plans for the day are. Ideally this will lead to me writing about more complex issues regarding my life and art. My life and art are related and interwoven, so it is impossible to write about one without writing about the other. Regardless, this active attention forces me to discover things about myself and my work. It forces me to sit back and analyze my habits. Writing leads to clarity and ultimately better art. If necessary I often prompt myself with questions such as, “why am I painting this?” or “why did I use those colors?” or why is the painting this size?”. These questions allow me to look more analytically at what I am doing and why. This is helpful both before picking up the brush and also after putting it down. Writing, done consistantly, will open creative doors you wouldn’t even know existed. It all seems obvious enough but today I was looking back over some of my old journals and sketcbooks and I was reminded of this value. I wanted to take the opportunity to share. Happy writng!