This photograph of colliding galaxies caught my eye the other day while I was thinking of the role destruction plays in creativity. This event is very beautiful and inspiring to our eyes; the colours and the light seem very artistic. Certainly a digital artist might choose such an image as inspiration for a digital painting. But this beautiful image is really a photograph of destruction. The collision would cause the obliteration of entire planetary systems – but from such a distance this is almost incomprehensible over how spectacular it looks. It reminds me of the concept of stepping back to look at the bigger picture.
Science and creativity
There is a scientific principle that states: “Matter cannot be created or destroyed; it only changes form.” An artist changes the form of a blank white canvas by painting coloured strokes on it. The whiteness is destroyed in favour of colour. If the artist decides to burn the painting, it changes form into ash and fumes.
Creativity and destruction are subjective experiences. Here in Australia, our seasonal forest fires destroy the current state of the vegetation, but many seeds need fire in order to germinate.
So fires that seem so destructive in our perspective are really responsible for the generation of new life.
Stagnation
Like the forests that need fire to regenerate, creativity can stagnate without something to fire it up. Anger and outrage are great motivators – think of how many artistic works are created to voice the artist’s opinion on social or political injustice or moral and ethical issues. Fear, pain, and grief also make their way into art.
If you’re finding yourself stagnated, it could be because your driving passion has simply run its course. Or perhaps you borrowed its energy for something else.
Beware of allowing procrastination to halt your progress while your fire is burning. Creative passion doesn’t wait for you to be ready.
The Inspired Heart by Jerry Wennstrom is an unusual memoir of an artist who destroyed much of his artwork in order to find himself. Read my review here.
The Hubble image of the Antennae galaxies (NGC 4038 & 4039) is a public domain image. Source
