I had a dream about my friend Michele. We were talking on the phone, and she admitted she was having a tough time and struggling. Then, she said with a resigned sigh: “You know, you’ve got to serve the whole chicken, not just the sweet parts.”
I woke up laughing and wondering what the “sweet parts” of a chicken are and then realized I’d rather not know.
But I love the saying so much I’m working on creating lettering to embroider it on kitchen towels for Michele and me.
It’s an important message for me in creativity and in life. I so often waste energy and stifle creativity by trying to avoid discomfort, disappointment, and disorder. And yet, like Michele said, you’ve got to serve the whole chicken. The “un-sweet” parts can’t be avoided, well, not if you want to live a creative and vivid life, anyway.
Plus, I’m learning in my drawings, whether it’s a flower or creature, when it turns out “cutesy” and bland, I’m avoiding a painful truth. When I let the less savory emotions into the drawing, even for my simple flowers or whimsical creatures, the drawing has much more to say and stays interesting long after it’s finished.
It’s a hard lesson for me to live. I’d rather everything be a sunny 70 degrees all the time, but maybe that would actually zap creative drive?
Carrot Condo by Trista Cornelius 
Trista, interesting dream! and thought-provoking. I’m definitely good at wasting time and trying to avoid discomfort. In my life right now I need to spend lots of time bringing order to my desk, my phone and my computer. I’ve started on the phone and computer; at this point it’s too hot in my office to spend time in there.
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Hot weather is definitely a discomfort!! I just finished my third draft of a poster I hope to print soon. Starting that 3rd draft was so hard…I thought: I don’t have to make this! Draft 2 had been a challenge. But…it’s looking good again. So, I guess I just have to keep pushing through the “un-savory” parts.
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