At the end of the day, where we want to get to is a place where we are progressing, where we are evolving. Where we are becoming something. If you have a personal stake in who you are as an actor, as an artist, as a human being, in becoming something more than you are – that’s what I call a cathartic focus, trying to elevate or evolve yourself - then the stakes are for you. It is not about applause. It’s not about accolades. It’s not about trying to prove yourself to someone. It’s that you want to become someone more than you are. . .

    - John Markland, The Markland Studio

. . .

Much of my life these days is about that "cathartic focus" to which John Markland refers – achieving clarity about what I need to focus on, and maintaining the internal momentum to keep that focus. I need to keep my eyes on the prize -- the prize being abstact work with the ability to transform a room, to bring — or add to — its sense of peace.

And so I paint twelve hours a day, seven days a week, pursuing that vision. The crazy thing is that when I tell myself that what I want to paint is an interesting background for a realistic/impressionistic painting, I have no problem painting what is in my imagination. But when I set out to paint an abstract painting, I may paint something that I really like, that would have been completely fine a year ago or a month ago, but that is too overworked, too heavy, too dramatic for what is in my imagination now. To try to get and keep on track, I've posted in my studio:

Peace, Serenity, Gentleness, Simplicity
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Minimalism

A couple of more thoughts by John Markland on the creative process:

The tone of voice with which you speak to yourself will be the one everyone eventually hears.

More aware; less effort.