How do writers tell their tales? How do musicians create lovely songs with lyrics that touch the soul? How do artists of all kinds find deep within themselves something that they are able to tap into and bring forth to share with others or perhaps keep to themselves? Some heavy stuff to think about. If you are an artist and are reading this, I know that this question has been asked of you many, many times. How do you think up this stuff? Where does it come from ? For some artists, it's very hard to explain what inspires them or why they do what they do. For others, it's an easy thing to talk about and share. Just like the individuals that we are, each of us draws our inspiration in different ways and from different sources.
For me, filling your head up with good, useful and beautiful stuff that you love to see and do is the first place to start. No, I do not turn a blind eye to tragedy...hey, the news every night is enough to make anyone sad. But I want to focus on the uplifting, the beautiful, the stuff that makes us smile. So, I want to fill my head with as much as I can that is lovely. In my mind, how can you draw upon something within yourself if it is empty and there is nothing in there to reach? So, reading everything I can find the time for, looking at things in museums, online, in books, in magazines, and then really looking a second time. Paying attention and taking notes in sketch books, and in the margins, and in a journal are very helpful. I often have a gazillion pieces of paper floating about at any given time. Sometimes, I rewrite and reorganize these notes often simplifying them or elaborating on them. I let these "notes" ferment for awhile and I carrying them around with me in my head, all the while thinking what I might do with them. An example of this would be that after a visit to a museum or art gallery, I might love the way an artist uses orange and green together. So I will put down on my lengthy list of ideas, "Orange and green together with various pale shades of blue on the orange." Then perhaps I will think about these colors while I am gardening or looking at my orange flowers that I bought at the store. A week later, I might think about that orange flower with green leaves on a blue tablecloth in front of a window and may even take some photos of that flower to use... and from there it goes. If I am outside, it's an easy thing especially when the weather is nice and your bright canvas is staring at you full of infinite possibilities. Here, out in the world where the light bounces off of everything and is there just for the moment, I want to work as quickly as possible to capture what I can before it fades.
And I must say that God is ever present in all of these possibilities. I always feel so full of gratitude to be able to mix some paint, turn on some music and just paint! Everything is an inspiration. They say to writers, "Write about what you know..." For me, it's the same with painting. Paint what you know and see. This whole process for me not something to be agonized over but rather joyfully embraced, although I know that there are many artists out there that use their pain for inspiration as well. I have painted after my mother died, after my friend Tom died and in spite of how sad I was, I still felt that the "doing" was helpful in my own healing.
I know that artists can be "blocked" and that there are dry spells. But I cannot truthfully say that since I have been working seriously at my own stuff for the last 8 years this hasn't happened. Hopefully it never will. Knock on wood...now I've done it!
So your palette can be half full or half empty. You can sketch and draw everywhere you go and then rework it at home. You can have people you love sit for you to draw or paint. Infinite possibilities.
Let me end with this...
"Imagination is the beginning of creation, You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last you create what you will."- George Bernard Shaw
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