It has taken me forty-three years of ups and knocks and dips and rides and introspection to fully comprehend and appreciate the profoundly liberating forces that propel the process of creation. One is master not only of the moment but also of all the emotions and energies one is seeking to transmit or channel. The matter can never really be settled with yourself until you are satisfied you have reached as close as you can to that critical point of calm and completion. Ultimately one is playing against oneself, being simultaneously the game master and the compliant participant in the event. There are no other rules. As Grayson Perry once said, “my job (as an artist) is to do what I like”. So I am free to expand and contract, include or exclude, all the relevant elements I deem fit to be invoked, or not. The feeling of empowerment this process provides is as delicious and satisfying as it is intoxicating. Suddenly this all seems rather clear.