Creative Spirit Blog June 16, 2026 Serendipity

Man's Burden Collage

"Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time. They are different processes.” “Rule #8 Sister Corita Kent

Shortly after I wrote my last Blog, I was looking up something totally unrelated and up came Art Rule #8.  I had never heard of Art Rule # 8, so I looked it up.  As I read it, I thought, she has summed up in one sentence all I have been writing about and teaching for years. It was a serendipitous moment.

Creating comes from something deep inside.  If we allow ourselves to just “play” and stop worrying about the outcome we produce something unique and original with internal substance.  When we are done, we analyze.  They are different processes!

The process of creation in art is deeply personal.  It is a non-linear journey that transforms abstract concepts into tangible expressions, rather than a strict set of rules. It typically begins with an emotion, a deep attachment to something personal, an observation, or memory.

As we work and get in the period of “flow” it becomes an ongoing balance between idea and no idea, between knowing and not knowing, before we come to a concrete outcome.  Negotiating this balance does require a bit of courage, motivation, and passion for what we are doing, because we can encounter frustrations and failures while working on any of our creative projects.

However, I firmly believe that the key to the art-making process is the joy we put into it. We should have fun while in the process, be present in it, and not focus too much on the outcome while we are working.

Enjoy the journey, the experimentation and the testing of various ways to reach an outcome. Get pleasure from the happy accidents and do not worry so much about the not so happy accidents that cause us to find creative solutions.  It’s an adventure!

“Art isn't a result; it's a journey. The challenge of our time is to find a journey worthy of your heart and your soul.“ (Seth Godin)

In the end we can analyze. Does our work say something we want it to say and is the composition strong enough? Then we can add and subtract to our work as needed without changing the internal structure.

Sister Corita Kent had other good rules.  I have attached rules #4 through #10 at the end of this blog.   The first three applied to her classroom management so I did not include them. Go and enjoy the journey of creating. Be present in the moment. Carolyn

Corita Kent (1918–1986), was an influential American artist, educator, and Roman Catholic nun who became a leading figure in the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. She revolutionized printmaking by using bold, vibrant silkscreen prints to advocate for social justice, peace, and anti-war causes.

Sister Corita Kent's Rules

RULE FOUR: Consider everything an experiment. 

RULE FIVE: Be self-disciplined — this means finding someone wise or smart and choosing to follow them. To be disciplined is to follow in a good way. To be self-disciplined is to follow in a better way. 

RULE SIX: Nothing is a mistake. There is no win and no fail, there’s only make. 

RULE SEVEN: The only rule is work. If you work, it will lead to something. It’s the people who do all the work all the time who eventually catch on to things. 

RULE EIGHT: Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time. They’re different processes.

RULE NINE: Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It’s lighter than you think. 

RULE TEN: “We’re breaking all the rules. Even our own rules. And how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities.” (John Cage)