I noticed something in myself the last time I was off work for any extended period of time (2006) – and it’s the same this time around too. I don’t do painting/pure art unless I’m also being stimulated mentally through the sort of work that uses my lateral thinking/logic circuits – ie, work. In particular some sort of analytical work that has nothing to do with my own projects.
I have to be challenged by something that does not come purely out of me on a creative level. I can’t write creatively and do art – too close to each other. If I write I have to be doing something like making sock monkeys. I can test/do problem solve analysis stuff/study/technology and art.
I can craft and build and sew when I’m not doing other thinking – they use a different set of circuits in my head. Crafting is largely problem solving in a skilled way and it’s pretty repetitive. But painting and that pure ‘something out of nothing’ only happens when I’m doing logical problem solving.
Hence I started learning Ruby and oh look a bunch of paintings fell out of me.
