Where is everyone?

["Clive Murray-White" <clivemw@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

Dear Jennifer,

I've been watching this thread for a while wondering if I've got anything to
contribute and yesterday I realised I think I do.

I work full time in my studio and make my living from sales etc my work.
Luckily I never get the "dreaded artists block", it surprises me because I
just make heads and never get tempted to do anything else. However I do get
physically and mentally tired, this is a problem because if I try to do my
best work under these circumstances I sense that I'm taking shortcuts which
ultimately lead to substandard work and the frustration and tension that
follows.

I have also experienced the problems caused by lack of money, my usual ploy
was to dream up some little novelty that I'd think would sell like hot
cakes, of course this never worked as a cheap novelty never sells for as
much as a good sculpture.

At various times the weight of work has made me sit down and think about
taking on an assistant but I realise that this wouldn't work, what I chose
to do instead was to pay other people to do everything I didn't like doing
or could be done pretty much by anybody.

Now we come to the bit that may sound really strange, things that I
discovered by accident that really help. Holidays and luxury! I've always
been a keen fisherman never did very well but now I go out into the ocean in
charter fishing boats and always catch fish, a days fishing  completely
refreshes me, the long drive to the ports allows me uncluttered thinking
time and the thrill of thinking how I'll cook some of the fish is almost as
exciting as catching them, favourite at the moment is making exotic fish
stews.

I'm not suggesting that you take up fishing but there may be something
that'll give you a real buzz, I reckon it should feel just a little decadent
and a bit more expensive than you can justify spending on yourself.

My other quick fix is going to a big city, staying in a nice hotel, going
out eating really good food drinking beautiful wine checking out the
galleries, maybe doing a concert etc.

I know that my wife's girlfriends all like a really good massage you may be
similar.

What I'm getting at is that all the work you do owes you some real rewards.
You probably need to take yourself out of yourself once in a while.

Luxury can be a different thing for everybody but I do know that it really
works. One word of warning if it so costly that you worry then it doesn't
work.

My biggest surprise was staying in resorts, not the real tacky ones but ones
set in rainforest, stuff like that. I always thought that I would hate them
but I discovered the opposite.... but I never pay full price, half of great
feeling is that you've got a fantastic deal so you're getting more than you
deserve.

Hope this helps a bit

All the best Clive

Sculptor Clive Murray-White

Web: http://www.cowwarr.com/CliveMurray-White/