Jan Cornall wants you to get married (to creativity)
Creative Dialogue #10
Creative Dialogues is an ongoing project to learn from fellow artists. I’ve interviewed an astonishingly wonderful variety of creative individuals about their art, creative practices, and how they make it all work (interviews are ongoing — DM me if you’d like to participate).
How it works: I send every participant a list of questions about creativity and the creative practice. They respond to the five questions that resonate most, so every interview reflects the artist’s own curiosities and interests.
Today’s interview is with
, who has been making art and kicking ass around the world for pretty much her entire life. And she was even in an all girl Latin jazz band! Could she be any cooler?
Jan is a writer who supports others’ creative processes through teaching and mentoring. She’s worked in the creative arts since the age of 18. In the past she’s been a singer, songwriter, playwright, screenwriter, novelist, memoirist, not to mention percussionist in an all girl Latin jazz band! She teaches online workshops and for the past 20 years has been taking groups of writers and artists on creative journeys to international locations including: Bali, Fiji, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Japan, Italy, Morocco.
Jan is also the author of Writer’s Journey, where she documents her many journeys around the world and into the creative process.
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If you were a piece of creative work, such as a book, song or painting, what would you be? Why?
I’d be a tiny hard cover book, like Marguerite Duras’s novella The Lover, or Yasunari Kawabata’s novel, Snow Country, expressing as they do: longing, desire and the exquisite melancholy of lost and impossible moments — reminding all that great literature is a salve for the soul.
Words always excited me. I would browse a thesaurus just for fun.
When did you first realize you were an artist/writer/performer/actor/musician/creative individual?
Yes, to all of the above!! When I was very young I used to put on theatre shows for the rest of the family. And I loved to write rhyming poetry — a couple of my poems got published in the school magazine. Words always excited me. I would browse a thesaurus just for fun. And my mother was a great influence. She was a poet and amateur artist, always capturing what was going on outside the kitchen window in paint or words.
Do you have a creative routine? If so, what is it?
Walking is a big part of my creative routine. I try to walk mornings and evenings. It invigorates my thinking and gets my creative juices flowing. If ideas start coming while I’m out, I’ll jot them down or record them on my phone. When I’m working on a particular project, I will set a time to be back at my desk so my walks have to fit in with that. I don’t have a set finish time. If I am on a roll I will keep going until I’m all written out, but if I’m finding the going tough, I’ll try to do at least two hours and then switch to admin. I like to bring a creative approach to admin too, otherwise I couldn’t do it —planning and doing follow up on trips, advertising and promotion, mentoring/reading others work, is all creative work for me. I like to make scrapbooks of my projects, too, to mess around with old magazines, paper, glue and scissors. So if I am stuck, I can just head over to my scrapbooking table and play around with imagery, pattern, textures, shapes, colours, ideas. Being single with kids who have long left home, my time is my own. I’ll keep going on the weekends, too, unless I’m hanging with my grandkids. They are of course wonderfully creative and are always reminding me that every moment is a creative moment!
Don’t worry about outcomes or what people think. Follow your creative instincts and find ways (no matter how small) to share your work with others.
What keeps you going when you feel discouraged?
I just have to give myself a good talking to. If that doesn’t work I try to write it out. I might start with the words, ‘What I really want to say is…’ That usually gets me going again. Talking to other writers and artists is helpful, having a good moan and groan is always therapeutic. If none of that works then amplifying my situation or scenario, exaggerating it to the hilt — acting it out in front of the mirror or to a friend, or turning it into a character. This never fails to change the mood. Reminding myself that we all go through these moments, they are part of the creative process. Doubts and negative thoughts help us come to our work again and again with fresh eyes and a sense of renewal.
What is one thing you’d tell your younger self about building a creative practice?
Don’t worry about outcomes or what people think. Follow your creative instincts and find ways (no matter how small) to share your work with others.
We all go through these moments, they are part of the creative process. Doubts and negative thoughts help us come to our work again and again with fresh eyes and a sense of renewal.
What is one thing this community can do to support you and your work?
Oh, what a great question, I am so used to supporting others it’s hard for me to consider this. The reason I joined Substack was to have a quick turnaround platform for putting my own creative work out there instead of waiting on the long slow process of traditional publishing. Getting this balance right as a teacher/mentor is a challenge. So my answer is — engagement, appreciation, recognition, collaboration, creative conversation, mutual inspiration.
Any final thoughts on creativity you’d care to leave us with?
When I taught writing in universities I used to tell my young students — forget about going after relationships or material success. Sure, you can have those but if you really want to write or make art, first you must Marry Creativity! It is the most rewarding commitment you will ever make and from that will flow all the magic life has to offer: opportunities, travel, interesting people, personal happiness and satisfaction, love and maybe even actual marriage! Marry creativity and enjoy every moment of your life.
Marry Creativity! It is the most rewarding commitment you will ever make and from that will flow all the magic life has to offer.
Jan is a multipotentialite. The number of things she had done amazed me. Marrying creativity— what a profound way to embrace creativity in our lives. I can understand the level of commitment we need to make to make our creativity work. Just love this phrase because it inspires me to create more. Thanks for this interview Robin. Keep doing such inspiring interviews.
Marry Creativity!" What a brilliant metaphor! It perfectly captures the dedication and passion required for a fulfilling creative life. It's not just about producing art; it's about embracing a mindset of curiosity, exploration, and continuous learning. Your words have inspired me to renew my vows with my own creative pursuits.