Isolation

            Everyone is distancing! Is that really a gerund or what? I thought that was what politicians did when they aver that they mis-spoke or when they’re caught by the press and cornered in their own shallow hypocrisy. That kind of distancing is back pedaling of the highest degree. More’s the pity that the public is so inured to this kind of flimflam talk that it is soon forgotten.  The other kind of distancing we practice now is life saving. We are asked to go even farther, to isolate.

Isolation has its medical consequences but I wonder about the artistic side. Does solitude enhance creativity? The creative impulse is a basic human trait. I don’t dismiss the inventive and calculating energies of animals who are seeking food in a world of scarcity. I am thinking of squirrels and crows at the moment. Speaking as one who has little instinct for imaginative innovation, I can only observe and remark as an outsider. Table settings may be my only forte. Hospitality is my game.

It seems to me that enforced isolation can work in mysterious ways to impede or promote artistic productivity. It takes a special artistic imagination to relish being alone. For solo creators it is a mixed blessing. Some of them rely on personal withdrawal, in addition to excessive alcohol consumption, for heightened consciousness. There is a long tradition of that and maybe it has a liberating effect on awareness but it can lead to all sorts of personal travails as well as declining originality. The trick is to know when it’s not working as it should. On the other hand, if a soloist is a performance artist then the loss of a valuable observer may impair the fulfillment and purpose of rehearsal and preparation. The immediacy of helpful guidance is sacrificed. Sometimes it’s just plain nice to have someone else in the room.

Creating at a total remove from social contact obviously allows unimpaired focus, freedom and concentration. Sabbaticals and “retreats” imply this. At the same time, this does not refute the fact that all creative efforts are ultimately intended for people. The primal urge to show off your crayon drawings to your parents never really goes away. Solitude is not a requirement but it may serve as an enhancement to the process. In this age of so-called social connection, the refreshment of purpose provided by isolation is what some artists have been begging for: no distractions. That may be an idealistic concept since the worries associated with the economic collapse remain and sheltering with a menagerie of creatures isn’t easy. Still, to have an eye on the prize of approval and reward all the time has to be crippling for the creative process; not that great works do not come from that intention, but that they might have been even better.

Maybe the highest value in isolation is the opportunity for reflection. This can lead in all sorts of creative directions and may lead to the ultimate fulfillment of that good old exhortation: Carpe Diem.