Zen and Art

Zen in the Art of Archery has got me thinking about why it is so difficult for artists to talk about their art. I'm beginning to think that there is more to it, than a laziness or an inability or stubborn unwillingness to articulate that keeps some artist from talking about their work. Maybe it has to do with the nature of art and the experience of creating?

Students of Zen don't talk about "the way" or what Zen is. This non-explanation forces a student of Zen to go through the "fires of truth" for themselves. No one can or will show them the way. Zen can only be understood by one who is immersed in the experience of it. Part of Zen practice is to annihilate the ego or small self; the part that separates the "I" from the "we". It is considered a betrayal of Zen to talk about Zen because one "renders an account of what one has thrown away" in the very act of describing Zen.

Ok, now substitue the word 'Zen' for 'Art' and 'student' for 'artist'. It costs me "grave heart searching" to analyze my creative process. It feels like betrayal as I intellectually describe my creative process. Doing so robs my intuitive process of the energy and time I need to use to birth visual images.

When I write about my work, I do not produce art. I produce written work about art and the written work is the product. Writing and art production seem to be unable to occupy the same space within me. One mode of expression gets energy and focus while the other does not. One costs me the other.