Attention.

It’s very easy in our social media-pressured world to feel that we must be present online in order to matter. Or sell. Or not be left behind. After all, everyone is online, blogging, tweeting, facebooking, instagraming, right? Community is good. For the human spirit. But is it good for creativity? Particularly, your project?

We live in a fast-paced world where information is passed quickly from one to another. This can be wonderful for promotion. But I don’t think it’s very helpful for actually getting work done. And by work, I mean art.

Creativity is largely a spiritual endeavor. Spirit requires quiet. Listening. Contemplation and receiving.You have to be able to hear it in your spirit before it will flow from you into your work. And if you are constantly distracted and pressured to be elsewhere (i.e. online), your work will suffer or simply, not get done.

What is the point of being an artist if you are not making art?

I fall silent in this blog space for extended periods because I need to be quiet. I need to focus on the work.

Don’t be afraid to be offline. Your work will not suffer for it. You will not be forgotten. In fact, it is in the silence that you may do your very best work. And then gift it to the rest of us when you’re done.

Do what you need to do to give your work the attention it needs.

The online world can wait.