I have to chuckle to myself. Yesterday (or was it the day before?), I had the perfect idea for an article, yet because I had a million-and-one other things on the go simultaneously, when it came to actually drafting it, the aforementioned ‘perfect idea’ had vanished into the ethers. Today, as I reach the very extremity of my chosen deadline, I find myself cursed with procrastination, applying myself to all manner of tasks, many of which are pertinent, yet in this moment, not as pressing as my hitherto non-existent draft.
By now, given that you are busy reading the infamous article itself, you might have gathered a hint as to its subject. In my frustration at not having a clue what to start with, I thought to myself, “Just start, Guy — start with something, anything, and see where it leads…” So here we are, allowing random words to fall into place as the gods see fit (I must just tell you that at this very moment, a gardener with a petrol drinking weed-eater excites his machine into action right outside my window, shattering my thoughts asunder) with no apparent direction, other than that I have simply started to write, which, in a roundabout way, leads me to the semblance of a topic… Progress is made!
As I was busy attempting to squeeze an idea out of my seemingly arid grey matter, I began to draw a parallel between writing and art, recalling many an occasion where I was completely at a loss with where or how to start my next artwork. All of a sudden, I would find the need to put a load of washing on, make some tea, read a magazine, have a snack, anything except getting artsy.
The fact that I’m already past my 300th word proves this arbitrary experiment to be true. Needing to draft an article, despite not having the faintest idea what to write, I simply began writing, and lo and behold… We might easily apply the same principle to art. Just begin with something, mix paint on your palette, sharpen a pencil, create colourways, start sketching a composition (one can always erase), or allow the charcoal stick to start doodling.
I’ve always maintained that doodling is an art form in and of itself and that it’s the nucleus of unconsciously competent creative expression. In the same way that once you’ve taken your driver’s license and have been driving for some years, the act of driving becomes unconscious; it all just happens… Babbling away, then, as I was at the outset of this article, is a form of verbal doodling, just as one might change gears, indicate, check the speedometer or the rear-view mirror when driving, completely oblivious of the actions.
Back in the bad ol’ days of lockdown, when I first started recording YouTube sessions while working on an artwork for an hour every weekday, once I got into the groove of creating, whilst at the same time talking about techniques or materials, or merely the state of things, at a point I realised that the artwork tended to come together of its own accord. I would be talking to my viewers, whilst my hands would unconsciously select a pastel colour or a stick of charcoal and busy themselves with creating. In other words, the artwork was creating itself; I didn’t really have to think about it at all.
So next time you feel like you’re at a dead-end with your task at hand, yet nothing is coming to mind, remember this quirky article of mine and go ahead, just do it, go ahead and make a start. I reckon Nike had the right idea — and look where it’s got them!
Guy McGowan
WASA representative in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Chairperson of North Coast Artists, KwaZulu-Natal.