Balance vs Harmony

Mind and Flow are integral to creativity.  There is a time for thinking through the idea - conceptualising and planning. Then there is time for doing the idea - being in the flow of the work.

Take my costume sketches of the past two days as example. I begin by reading the play. Then the mind works hard and fast visualising ideas. I draw quickly. Loosely I capture those ideas as best I can. The mind exhausts quickly. It's not particularly sustainable for long periods of time.  I give it 20min to an hour then I'm done.  For the next few hours I rest the mind and get into flow. For 5 hours I work on those rough doodles. I don't tire. I focus on details, line quality, texture, shade.  Of course I'm making decisions constantly but these are unconscious rather than conscious. Less mind more doing.

The process cycles continually through my practise, weekly daily and down to the moment.

I have often heard artists suggest the importance of balance.  Balance isn't quite the right word here. Balance suggests an equality of proportion.  Equal proportion of mind and work can not be balanced. They're not meant to be.  I prefer to use the word 'Harmony' rather than balance.  It is important for an artist to have a harmony within their practise. Not a balance. Harmony means giving things their appropriate space within the composition of the whole.

This extends to all our work and lifestyle.  By always trying to achieve work/life balance we are actually fighting ourselves. We are creating unnecessary resistance. It is far better to pursue a work/life 'harmony'.