Realising creativity by leaving your bed unmade

I am often drawn into discussion when a new piece of ‘modern’ art is thrust into the limelight, or should I say ‘post-modern’ art, or perhaps we have even moved beyond this, I am no art historian. I am refering to pieces of art such as Emin’s bed  , but it also goes back further. The ‘print splatters’ of Jackson Pollack  or the blocks of colour by Mark Rothke . The discussion is something like this, in fact it is exactly like this…

‘I could have done that, left my bed unmade, spilt some paint on a canvas or painted large squares of colour’

My response is always the same, ‘perhaps, but you didn’t.’

Without wanting to go into any deep discussion about what is and isn’t art, I want to focus on the one fact that is true here, the process, the actual expression. These pieces would never have been done unless the artist, and I do use that word, hadn’t decided to express their creativity.

The same is true for us. We can have lots of ideas, many thoughts and countless dreams, but unless we actually sit down and express them they will remain unrealised. Currently you and I may not receive many thousands in commission to create an installation in a famous gallery, but there is nothing stopping us from being creative except ourselves.

Go on, you may not want to spill some paint, colour some squares or leave your bed unmade, but do something to realise your creative potential.