The Vast Chaos of a Creative Mind
My husband once referred to my mind as “vast chaos.” Rather than upset me, I was delighted with the term and refashioned it into the phrase “the vast chaos of the creative mind.” It is a very apt description.
If I am one day asked to give a quote on my personal creative process to some quote website or publication, it might read something like this:
First, the chaos is moving. Picture a large midwestern tornado, picking up everything in its path as it swells and grows. It is constantly absorbing what I read, see, observe, think about, and do. It is altered by the catalyst of lightening (sometimes called inspiration) and heavy moisture (often referred to as composting, or percolating). Containment is important; recovery can be dangerous. That’s why I must daily grab a string, line, or item from the chaos as it whirls past and pull hard. Here comes my next story, essay, article, or Big Thought!
Sometimes I must pull for all I’m worth. The Vast Chaos does not always relinquish easily. Other times, I can give a hard yank and bowl myself head over anklebones with the unexpected ease of recovery.
One must always exercise caution when dealing with the Vast Chaos. There are heavy objects thundering by that can be avoided until they approach a more manageable size. There are delicate contents that cannot be pulled with force or they will unravel and fly apart. There are even mundane things that serve better if left as a binder in the Vast Chaos.
Here comes the Chaos again. Time to fling out my hand and latch onto something solid as I put pen to paper. Watch out for the flying sink!
I’m with you. It may be vast and it may be chaotic, but there’s a whole lotta good coming out of that space.
KJ
http://interminablewriter.wordpress.com