THE ARTIST AND THE TERRITORY
T
he act of creation is by definition territorial. As the
mother-to-be bears her child within her, so the artist
or innovator contains her new life. No one can help her give
it birth. But neither does she need any help.
The mother and the artist are watched over by heaven.
Nature's wisdom knows when it's time for the life within to
switch from gills to lungs. It knows down to the nanosecond
when the first tiny fingernails may appear.
When the artist acts hierarchically, she short-circuits the
Muse. She insults her and pisses her off.
The artist and the mother are vehicles, not originators.
They don't create the new life, they only bear it. This is why
birth is such a humbling experience. The new mom weeps in
awe at the little miracle in her arms. She knows it came out of
her but not from her, through her but not of her.
When the artist works territorially, she reveres heaven.
She aligns herself with the mysterious forces that power the
universe and that seek, through her, to bring forth new life.
By doing her work for its own sake, she sets herself at the
service of these forces.
Remember, as artists we don't know diddly. We'reTHE WAR OF ART