Inspiration Sminsperation

(One of Ross Bleckner's studios)

I do know one artist who’s also a DJ, has no permanent address, makes no plans ever and makes art in spurts. And he's incredibly moody. As such, he does match one of the artist stereotypes we have in our head: we can call it the Caravaggio stereotype. But, he’s really an exception, not the rule.

Most artists, I’d say, are extremely routinized, predictable folks. In Joe Fig’s entirely pleasurable collection of interviews, Inside the Painter’s Studio, you find out, for example, that Dana Schutz’s schedule is entirely normal, except for the time slot. She wakes up between 10 and 11:30 am, goes to the studio, and leaves between 2 and 4 in the morning.

Ross Bleckner wakes up at 6:30 am, reads, meditates, gets to the studio by 8am, works until 5, and then works out. And he has the same tuna sandwich at the same time for lunch. All this happens seven days a week. He says, “I am the happiest and most psychologically balanced when my days follow the exact same pattern day after day after day.”

I think we need the structure to hold looseness, to make it possible. Inspiration isn't really part of the equation at all, despite the myth. Someone I know called last week and asked if he was interrupting my inspiration. No, I was just working.