The unmoored, uncertain life of the artist

The uncertainty and unpredictability in the life of the writer and artist is universal and perennial. Kurt Vonnegut wrote:

"In an unmoored life like mine, sleep and hunger and work arrange themselves to suit themselves, without consulting me."

Oliver Jeffers echoed this:

"I don’t always stick to my schedules – you can’t plan creativity."



 Oliver Jeffers also said: "Don’t follow me. I have no idea where I am going." Einstein wrote:

"I am sometimes so wrapped up in my work that I forget about the noon meal."

This uncertainty should be embraced, as Dani Shapiro said:

"The job - as well as the plight, and the unexpected joy - of the artist is to embrace uncertainty, to be sharpened and honed by it. To be birthed by it."

Will Self rightly calls the creative process an alchemy, when he said:

"The weird emotional-psychic alchemy that appears with making fictions is exciting and strange to me as it ever was."

Also read about resistance. Also watch Jack Vettriano here and here and Shani Rhys James here go through the creative process and notice how they rithe and struggle and groan as they create. See Tracey Emin struggle and groan here. Read my blog post here on how comparison and self-doubt are the thieves of creativity.