A Gem On The Creative Process From Miranda July That We Almost Missed

When it comes to creativity, Miranda July, is a master. Her career as an artist and innovator is seemingly unstoppable. A performance artist, film-maker, and writer whose voice remains startlingly fresh and unique from project to project; Miranda is a hero to artists everywhere who strive for originality, fearlessness, and authenticity in their work. Her most recent novel, All Fours, was an instant NY Times bestseller, and is making waves throughout the U.S. and globally.

What is her creative process like? How does she balance the duality of wild imagination and pragmatic execution in her projects? Has her fame supported her creativity or hindered it? ...These were the kinds of questions I was contemplating and preparing to ask, if I was lucky enough to get the mic during the Q&A after Miranda's event at the Santa Fe International Literary Festival this year.

On the day of the event, the line to see Miranda snaked around the courtyard of the event venue, down shaded brick walkways, and out of view. When we finally took our seats inside the dimly lit hall there was a buzz and chatter of anticipation as we waited for the event to begin. 

She appeared from behind a screen wearing an elegant white vintage dress, was it silk? Satin? She moved gracefully and quietly settled herself into the overstuffed armchair on stage, briefly squinting her eyes to peer into the darkness and take stock of the audience. She was paired in conversation with a journalist who had many accolades in her own right, but was clearly star-struck and nervous to be speaking with Miranda.

The conversation was charming. Miranda put us all instantly at ease with her honesty, vulnerability, humor, and disregard for the pomp and circumstance of the event. Within a few minutes it felt like we were all a group of friends hanging out and catching up after not seeing each other for a while. The expected questions were asked of course, about career, and what's next, etc. but the best parts of the event were the anecdotes, the jokes, and getting to see the mastery of the performance artist in person. At one point she stood up from her chair to demonstrate how she embodies the mannerisms of a certain dancer friend of hers whenever she needs to shift out of her more bookish nature. We all watched as the quiet stillness in her body gave way to a loose and fluid, devil-may-care swagger, and she slumped back into her chair nonchalantly before returning to her modest and composed posture as an honored guest at an International Literary Festival. 

I left the event smiling, feeling uplifted and inspired. It wasn't until a few days later that I realized something had been missing. Upon reflecting on all that had been said that day, I found myself wishing that there had been more discussion of Miranda's creative process. Like many artists and creatives, I had hoped for some kind of insight into her dynamic and prolific way of working. How does she come up with ideas? What does she find challenging? I almost resigned myself to the loss when I realized that she'd given us the jewel after all and it simply hadn't been noticed. 

One of the first questions that Miranda was asked was an obvious, "What's next?". Miranda's response gave nothing away about what we might expect from her in the future, but it says everything about her creative process and how she is able to stay fresh, activated, and engaged. She told us plainly that she doesn't know, that she is "back in the ditch," and she has to "claw her way out". – Now, that might sound like side-stepping the question, or self-deprecation; but what it actually is, is a generously honest explanation of her creative process, and one that we can all learn from.

The creative process has cycles with different stages, every artist and creator knows this. After the successful completion of a project there is a high, one is at "the top". It is a fantastic place to be, all eyes are upon you, the soul is elated, you are on top of the world. The only problem is that there is no place to go from there except down. Many artists resist the inevitable low after an accomplishment, they cling to the high and continue to try and replicate what brought them the celebration and attention, but it is never as fulfilling as the original success. Miranda, however, is showing artists that there is another way.

Miranda's humility and acceptance of the unknown shows that by willingly letting go of the high, by voluntarily returning to the (creative) ditch – where it is dark and dirty and there's no clear path – one can reinvent themselves again and again, and be revitalized by genuine growth and discovery. Miranda July's example shows us that the path to creative success is not linear, to be traveled once from start to finish. Rather, that it is a cycle to be repeated over and over; that letting go of attachments to past accomplishments is essential, and that the darkness of unknowing is nothing to be afraid of. The priceless lesson from Miranda July is that the creative ditch is our friend, the fertile ground from whence genius springs, and getting our hands dirty is the first step.

Image Credit: Nikolas Becker (foto/at/nikolasbecker.de), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons