Where do you get it from? How do you keep it? What happens if you lose it?
For those of us who think of ourselves as creative – inspiration is what sustains us. It is essential to what we can accomplish. Without it, the disciplines of hard work, focus, follow-through and all of those other lofty goals would be good for – making widgets. And we don’t make widgets. We each make magic… or we hope to.
We fuse two pieces of glass together and make a beautiful sinewy sculpture than can be used to serve cake. We take a continuous filament of yarn and create something colorful, fun and warm to wear. We discover old pages in old books about old things and think how something new can be made of all of that. We find a piece of fabric and add some more and bind the edges and think of a theme and voila – it’s a postcard, it’s a gift, it is --- they each are --- a work of art!
And they are works of art because of that singular process of inspiration we all depend on and sometimes take for granted. But if anyone has ever lost inspiration for a moment or a day or longer the void it leaves begins to echo with thoughts that can chip away at confidence and motivation. And with that we are no longer “creative.”
And that can be terrifying… or just plain old not fun anymore!
So, where do you get your inspiration? A TV show that made you think? A telephone call that left you laughing? A pattern you saw somewhere that you found fascinating? A sudden scent that brought on a memory? A tool you wish you had but don’t? A piece of jewelry you too can make but more of… something?
And how do you keep it and nurture it when the rest of life takes your time and energies? How do you clean up after the kids but remember that one “affect” you wanted in the piece you’re currently working on? How do you maintain a balance that can be knocked off kilter sometimes with real life dramas you need to attend to and just be in? How do you convey to significant others in your life that yes, you are working and working hard even though you love it so yes you need this time?
When you lose it, if you do… how do you find it again? Is it like losing your glasses – just retrace your steps? Or letting a rainy day not get you down – the sun will be out tomorrow? Or is it like trying hard to find a word – and giving up – and suddenly you have it?
I thought with this first week’s blog/column/writing/blurb ????? we might all share our answers to those three questions. I will not be surprised by the inspiration we all give each other because we have so naturally done so since the inception of this little team. It will be fun, useful and inspirational!
And, remember one of the definitions of inspiration is “the drawing of breath; inhalation; the act of breathing in.” Not a one of us can live without it.
Yours truly,
teehee
NOTE: original artwork by Teehee Productions
6 comments:
Hi Teehee
Good thoughts.
I get inspired by all kinds of things people. places, books, the way something feels. I tend to get special ideas walking in the bush - the colors, textures and patterns inform my work.
I take photos as I go to remind me of interesting sights.
And if I forget to take my camera, I tend to forget those little flashes of brilliance that come to me as I walk. Sometimes I find them again and sometimes they are lost to the universe forever.
Great post, Teehee!! I am inspired by just about anything I see, feel, or hear. I think creative people are moe in tune with their surroundings because most of us draw our inspiration from there. When we get "stuck" doing the same thing for too mong, it's really easy to lose inspiration or get "creator's block". when that happens, I completely walk away from whatever has me stuck and I just do something else. Go for a walk, call a friend, search google for whatever word comes to mind, walk around Walmart looking for nothing but coming home with lots of stuff I "had to have!", listen to music- whatever totally takes me away for a while. When I'm ready to return, my inspiration returns with me and I can complete what I've started. I think the best way to overcome creator's block is to realize and accept those moments as part of the process. All great creators lose their inspiration at some point. When it happens to you, consider yourself in great company :o)
Tasha LaRae
Earjeans
wow! that had lots of typos!! (did i spell that right??) lol! forgeive me, it's 11pm!
Hi tee- What a great thought provoking piece! Inspiration comes from everywhere...a song I have heard, a book I have read, a sight I have seen, a piece of fabric that delights me, a memory, or just from my imagination. I think people who have an artistic soul are inspired simply by LIFE. Keeping it and nurturing it are sometimes the hardest thing to do. But I think you can work too hard at being an artist and that makes the nuturing even harder. So when I feel that things aren't working, I let it go. We were once told that if you teach your children the core values, they may forget them for a time, but they will always be there and jump in when needed. So that is the way I feel about a piece that isn't working. Let it go. It will eventually reappear and be ready. I think the most important thing is to not stress about losing your creative vent. That is the brain's way of say, "step away, relax and do something else". We are artists because we enjoy what we do. When we no longer can take enjoyment in the process, it is time to stop and take a vacation.
I have honestly been pondering your post for weeks now! Especially since I got the sneak peak at it! Ho Hum, I think I am lacking in the inspiration department right now - so I am really taking this to heart. I read some song lyrics yesterday that a friend of mine had posted on Facebook, and it really hit a chord with me! I MISS music! I really need to buy and MP3 player or something - GASP - can you believe I don't have one! I am going to keep up with this post ... I feel a little bit lost!
I often get stuck for long periods of time. It seems to come at me in a rush all at once, then the ideas are there faster than I can keep up.
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