Bernie Michalik's posterous site

I read once that the great sculpture Louis Bourgeois felt that her children
severely affected her art. She felt that for her, having children took away
from her ability to create.

I was thinking of this today, because I had a rare occurance whereby I
didn't have to take care of my kids. I suddenly felt myself thinking
creatively in a way that I hadn't in some time.

Yet after thinking about it, I realized it's not the kids that affect
creativity, it's responsibility. Responsibility kills creativity. I get the
same effect when I have too much work to do. Unlike Louise Bourgeois, my
work requires very little creativity. Subsequently, when I have to produce
or manage a great deal, I find my creativity drops to zero. Likewise there
are plenty of times when being with my kids makes me feel more creative,
not less.

So I think she was wrong about kids (and right about art, which she was
brilliant at). It is the overwhelming responsibility that sucks all the
life from your creativity.
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Sent from my BlackBerry Handheld.