Yesterday evening, the BBC treated us to a re-run of their documentary about the life and work of Maggi Hambling. Titled ‘Making love with the Paint’, she talked about her life and work, and explained how she had to make time to wait until a new work was ready to emerge onto canvas. It was as if the picture decided when it would be painted, and her role as artist, was to act as a conduit, making the image in her mind visible to others.
Sitting with a cigarette in one hand and a can of Special Brew in the other, she said painting was an emotional, intimate experience and like making love, not something she could do in front of the camera. Just as in a loving relationship you have to give all of yourself to your partner, so too do creative people have to give everything to their art.
I’ve just completed the second draft of my next book, and having stopped taking on other work because my own project needed my undivided attention. I too have days when I write nothing, and appear to be wasting my time, but I’ve learned that it is only when you clear you mind of distractions, that the most inspiring ideas come to mind. Watching Maggi Hambling prompted me to reflect on the life I have now left behind.
I would fill every minute of every day with activity, fearing what might be the consequence of stopping, even for an hour. I now know that giving myself the freedom to explore; to follow my instinct and act intuitively will in the long term, allow me to make a bigger difference in the world than if I ever could as a consultant here or trustee there. I wonder how the world would look if everyone made time to do nothing?