Art of many kinds has the potential to be a lonely endeavour. The writer toils in their home office or a quiet corner of the local library; the painter in their studio; the ceramicist or sculptor in their converted garage or garden shed. American author and painter Henry Miller (allegedly) stated, “An artist is always alone – if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness.” He might not have been speaking literally about the solitude of the practice, but the nature of the work often requires quiet contemplation, intense inner debate, or simply some uninterrupted time free from distraction.
Recently, a friend took a candid photo of me writing at the town library. Well… she caught me staring out the window, at least! “Ruminating”, she described it. I’ve spent a lot of hours at that desk over the past few months, ruminating and otherwise. I’ve enjoyed the space, finding inspiration in the thousands of books around me. I can still research online if I need to but there is also reference on the shelves, or I can just pluck out a book at random and flip through the pages. (Real books will never die. No digital alternative has yet reproduced all of the tangible – and intangible – qualities of a physical book. But that’s a discussion for another time.)
While a lot of the artist’s work is done alone, art can also bring creative people together in amazing ways. The tiny rural community where I live is home to a pottery club, a sewing and quilting group, a music studio and an amateur theatre group. I’ve also participated in a couple of drawing groups around the area. These groups serve important social functions, and many of them also raise funds for various charities and community organisations. Now, Deepwater is home to the High Country Writers group, and it is this group that helped me take the final steps on my path to becoming a professional writer.
I don’t remember when I first attended the group, but it must be well over 18 months ago. I was looking for other local writers, an excuse to practice my craft, and some accountability. (Coaches of many kinds, from business coaches to personal trainers, will tell you of the importance of accountability in achieving your goals. When you are only answerable to yourself, it’s easy to shift the goalposts.) I found all of that and more. I have certainly connected with other writers, honed my own writing skills, and discovered the discipline of writing to a set of specifications – including a deadline. I’ve also started beta reading for other writers, and found a “writing buddy” who is on a similar path to me. The group had the opportunity to publish our collected short works in an anthology, and we have spent the last few months curating our collection and discussing marketing. Perhaps most importantly: being involved with this group gave me the last little bit of confidence I needed, the assurance that I actually had something worth saying.
Whatever form your creativity takes, find your tribe. Connect with other local artists, meet face-to-face, and forge social and professional connections. Join online forums dedicated to your particular craft. There is a lot of value in being exposed to the work of others, and offering and receiving honest critique (and encouragement). It there isn’t already a local group for your discipline, start your own! Art may very well require a degree of loneliness, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it entirely alone.
“Diving into Deep Water” is a collection of micro-fiction and other short written works, created by the members of the High Country Writers. It is being launched on the 19th of July at The Makers Shed in Deepwater NSW. All are welcome.
