Friday, June 11, 2010

My List of Inspirations

1. Bright, Vivid colors
2. Songs that get me into a certain mood - Classical, Jazz, Oldies and some newer stuff
3. Victorian things
4. Audrey Hepburn or Vivien Leigh photos
5. Dramatic Clouds
6. The hour of midnight
7. A feel good movie (classics always get me in the mood to be creative for some reason, lol)
8. Art Galleries
9. Museums
10. Documentaries on the creative process
11. Looking through old photos
12. Looking at my past art work
13. Hearing others ideas
14. Reading about Love Stories
15. Certain times of day, esp. early morning I love and late and night (wish I could have the best of both worlds)
16. Certain good memories and good times
17. Outdoors, esp. at my Grandma's property and being at her house.
18. Antique shows
19. My niece
20. Visiting new places

The Inspiration That Makes or Breaks An Artist


Inspiration is such a fleeting moment. You can have it one moment, and yet it can be entirely gone by the time you're ready to plop yourself down and actually accomplish that wonderful idea you had. Why does this happen and why does inspiration become such a driving force behind any art, whether it be music, drawing, writing, etc?

I think what it is, is that to be in the arts, you truly need a certain amount of "mental" space to actually churn out this thing we call inspiration. John Denver is a wonderful example of inspiration motivating most of his work.

When he went to Colorado or West Virginia, his inspiration ran high. I think what causes certain inspirations are when we're in our most pensive state. It's hard to become inspired when you're constantly on the go, without really setting aside "real" time to inspire yourself to do something out of the ordinary.

I know my inspiration levels have dropped so low because my mind has become so crowded with so many things. If I only had just a few weeks of no work, no money woes and no health woes, I think my inspiration would be at an all time high and I'd accomplish SO much! Now, just thinking of pulling out my oil paints begins to feel like pure drudgery for me and all I want to do when I get home is eat and sleep or go on the computer.

Ahh, yes, the computer - my little half devil, half angel. I mean this because the computer can make one accomplish many, many things - paying bills, writing friends and keeping in touch at lightening speed, making new connections and being able to find anything and everything I ever wanted to know about anything ever before. Yet, before I had a computer, my life just seemed a little less complicated. I would write people letters by hand, I'd personalize them and make them special. I'd make more art and use my creativity. I'd challenge my brain to draw and paint, rather than use a mouse to do such a thing. My inspiration, again, was at an all time high. Yet, I didn't have a job, I was homeschooled and I had hours upon hours to pretty much daydream my life away. I'd write stories or think up new ones. It was all a fantasy world I was living in, but it was fun and creative and my mind seemed so free and full of so much potential. I had so many less worries.

Yes, inspiration is hard to come by when money is a driving force. Yet, I am determined to continue on working on my inspiration and to not let it go. From now on, I will follow through. It's like exercising for the brain. You need it to keep you going and to live. If not, our brain will lose any remnance of that child we once were inside at one point in time. We need it to thrive and to grow. It's important.

Just as important as a running stream or the rustling winds. It's relaxing. Inspiration moves us in directions we never thought we'd go.

Let's keep it going.