Flash Fiction Friday.
She sits in her empty kitchen while the whole world sleeps soundly, staring deeply into her cup of piping hot coffee. Her thoughts are clear at this time of night, so she often finds herself contemplating the ebbs and flows of her life. While the sun is up, she feels the world's chaos surrounding her with a sense of panic whirling in her mind. Nothing gets done; she drifts through the day feeling overcome by the sheer anxiety overtaking her body. She waits for the calming effects of the darkness to power her mind and light the creativity within. She was commissioned to create a sculpture for a local gallery and the deadline is creeping up. The last several nights were mundane, hoping to be inspired but simply falling short night after night. Tonight, she is feeling a glimmer of inspiration flow through her core, hoping she will unleash every emotion within her soul to create a work of art.
As she takes the last sip of her coffee she takes one deep breath, stands up tall, and heads out to her studio. She gathers her supplies for the night and stands at her bench, eyes closed for just a moment. She reaches forward to feel the clay, envision the story it will tell, and ignite the true visionary within herself. The clay is malleable between her fingertips, she instantly feels at peace as her hands start to disappear in a sea of earthy matter. As her hands innately start moving across the clay, she can feel the entrancing powers of her work take over. Her hands continue to move effortlessly over the sculpture as it starts to take shape without any intentions, allowing her mind to shut off and her body take over. She allows the pure quiet of the night to guide her, to let the day's stresses slip from her mind as she eases into a state of pure bliss. She knows in this moment; the serenity of the night will allow her to unleash creativity unlike any other night.
As the sun starts to creep into the small crescent shaped window, she can feel her body weakening by the minute, realizing she hasn’t slept in over 24 hours. Bags are forming under her eyes, her limbs seemingly weigh a ton, and her hands are so dry from the clay they are seconds away from bleeding. She fights these feelings for as long as she can until the sheer will is no longer present and exhaustion starts to take over. She wills her lifeless body to stand, gazing at what she has created while tears are welling up in her eyes. Running her fingertips along the curves of the sculpture sends a jolt of fire through her fingertips. She feels this spike of energy running through her body all at once, her mind buzzing at the idea of completing this work of art. After enduring a dark and seemingly endless night she can see the end in sight.
The walk to her bedroom seems like a daunting journey at that moment, as she digs deep, she finds the last inkling of energy in her body. She reminds herself to put one foot in front of the other in such a repetitive motion it lifts her into a trance. She gazes at the long staircase leading up to her bedroom, feeling like it’s a mountain that will not be conquered in this state of mind. Taking a deep breath and repeating to herself, “right, left, right, left…” and with each step she feels this treacherous night coming to a close.
She peels her dirty clothes from her boney figure and without washing the excess clay from her body, she collapses into bed. A sigh of relief escapes from her lips as she fades into the deepest sleep she’s ever experienced. Pure exhaustion after pouring her heart and soul into one single work of art but the feeling of satisfaction leaves her wanting more. Art is like a drug for her, after she delves deep into her craft, the need for more intensifies after seeing the finished products. Once one cycle of creating ends, she begins to forage for her next project, throwing herself into her work and being completely engulfed in every piece of the puzzle. Each time she creates a sculpture she is breaking a piece of herself off and giving it to her craft. Little by little devoting her life to her work and displaying her pure love for her medium.
