“MOST CHANGES TRAVEL FROM THE EDGES TO THE CENTRE”…(Rebecca Solnit)
As I prepare a new story (this one is about microbes in the soil) I’m reminded of this quote from Rebecca Solnit. There is a preparatory/incubating time whenever something is birthing. In a story’s beginnings, there is much reading research, practice sketches, colour choices, composition trials and gathering of resource pictures. All this goes on in the privacy of my studio; in the wanderings of my mind in the hours of darkness; or in the surprising realisation amidst other seemingly unrelated activity. The beginnings move from an idea to a form - but slowly. Styles are trialled. Ideas noted. Sketches are practiced. Those ideas from the ‘outside’ are coming into the centre.
As the ideas accumulate a natural tension occurs. Have I done enough research? Is there another style, colour, composition I could try? Is this good enough? I’m tempted to keep trialing. Another idea! Another style! Another approach to the story! In the passage from the outside, where the ideas appear in their earliest, elemental form towards the centre, the tension grows.
There is a pace to this movement. Sometimes it flows easily, at other times it stutters and stumbles. I need to watch my step - keeping nimble so the pace fits. And always watching the progress steadily towards the centre where the project will be ready.