“Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.”
It may seem presumptuous to disagree with one of the accepted
greats of English literature, but I’m going to do it nonetheless. Sorry Oscar.
Now I know that inspiration, creativity, motivation, spontaneity and such are
most powerful when they are unhindered by oppressive shackles, laborious responsibilities,
and the mind-numbing drudgery of life, but without focus, none of those things
can find their highest potential. The way I see it, being consistent helps a
person form discipline. It provides structure and a framework to build ever
greater things. Finding a proper outlet for creativity and imagination allows
them to flow, develop, grow and expand. It’s also worth note to say being
consistent with your art form helps build skill, experience and technique.
Consider, what good is it to be a talented painter, writer,
composer, sculptor, etc. without contributing to the craft? Having talent and creativity
is great, but if you don’t bother to express it on a regular basis, that
ability has gone to waste. Being consistent, however distasteful to Oscar as it
might be, allows for expression to flow uninterrupted. So think about it, if
you have a mindset where you can express yourself (through your art) on a
consistent basis, you can focus on what you really want to convey and produce. Repeatedly
coming back to your craft, working through the obstacles and barriers, both of
the world and the mind, helps you gain valuable experience and develop a
personal technique. Your voice, through your art will be that much more
powerful because it is all the more refined and focused.
I’ve found that many times, I needed to push through the malaise
of the mind, battle against apathy and distraction, literally forcing myself to
write even when I didn’t want to do so. Some might say that isn’t creativity,
or inspiration, and perhaps they are right. But I always looked at it as
restructuring my mindset. It’s so easy to get distracted and say something else
is more important because it needs to be tended to ‘right now’. If you let it,
everything in life will distract you from your passions. Being consistent in
refocusing your mind on your passions is the only way to make sure life doesn’t
run rough shod over you your entire life. Remember, it’s not so much if you’ve
done something, it’s how many times you’ve gone back to it after distractions
pull you away that makes the difference.
Thanks for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome.
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