"Recipe: Perfect Studio Day" by Michael Smith

In this piece, Smith recalls when he was younger and used to look forward to working in his studio because he would easily get swept up in the creative process, captivated by working out new ideas.  Now, however, he is merely nervous about working in the studio and not as inspired as he used to be.  Now, he spends a lot of time looking through old boxes of work, organizing and trying to find things.  At the very beginning of the piece, Smith lists elements of a recipe for a perfect studio day, including fresh coffee and quiet, among other requirements.  As he has gotten older, he has decided to add another aspect to his recipe: "embracing distractions."  He feels that he is more comfortable when he keeps himself busy and has less time to worry about a blank canvas or an undeveloped idea.  He thinks of himself as his own clerk and makes the following interesting statement: "To be busy is to be creative."  He holds to the belief that things will eventually work out and find their own place, himself included.