I do not play because I struggle, but I struggle because I play.
When did playing become easy? I think the answer is long time after we left the playground, and are being tricked by our selective memory. Playing means solving serious issues. Playing is the best base for learning. To achieve new knowledge we have to exceed our comfort zone. Playing is a state of mind making us courageous and adventurous, and these are the characteristics needed for creating art.
Of course knowledge matters. Our experiences can take us far. They can take us as far as the start point. At that point everything is ahead of us. The focus point is hidden somewhere in front of us, and every now and then we get a glimpse of it as we move in the right direction.
There is no way to make a shortcut directly to the point.
Remember, we are explorers. We are not there to reach a goal like a sprinter. We are out in the jungle to find out of things, to collect, to solve problems and overcome unpredicted dangers.
And we have fun!! As we did “once upon a time” when we were kids. As kids we did not have our baggage of knowledge to bring. We had ourselves and each others, and had to be creative and curious to survive. Every time we had overcome a challenge we moved on, and the empty backpack started to contain content.
Some times, or frankly quite often, I make plans. Good plans meant to take me to my goal. Experience is my vehicle, and I plan to move fast. Very soon I have to face it. This is not the road to goals. Art is an expedition with the ability to transform all the time. The journey cannot be predicted. I can estimate a few things, but planning the progress linked to time is taking me in the wrong direction, starting to move backwards, following the traces of my former expeditions. Focusing on finding “old” (yes, everything before now is old) traces is blinding me, stopping my imagination.
I can make a work though, by following the old traces, but I cannot surprise myself, and by that nourish my curiosity.
I have to admit it, my curiosity is a hungry beast!
