03/23/2004: "Will Power vs. Inspiration"

Well, I have not painted or drawn anything since Sunday March 14th. I was going strong and then on Monday the 15th it was like hitting a wall at 90mph. I even got a shipment of new blank canvases in on Saturday (the 20th) which I dutifully unpacked but now they are just hanging all around, taunting me. I think in a way painting can be like exercising. You know how good you're going to feel when you start doing it but you have to make that first step...put on your sweatpants and tennis shoes...or for painting, squeeze some paint onto your pallet...it's like a leap of faith that if you make that pallet up, some urge to create will follow...I just can't seem to make myself do it. Also I think I'm influenced by the fact I know i need to work on the half finished paintings I'm doing for the show, when what I really feel like painting is another picture of Cillian Murphy. (I've sworn off doing that by the way.)

On another note, I'll be leaving town on Thursday morning for a big librarian's conference in Fairbanks...so another weekend with no painting on the horizon. Is this the beginning of the end?
Do you believe that an artist with good dicipline can be as productive as an inspired one?