Life As Art In Progress
One thing I always ask other artists is what inspires them, particularly after an absence from the studio.
One artist friend, Patti Gibbons, seems to do the balance thing extremely well, so I asked her to share what inspires her; what keeps her going, actually, it seems more like flying....through all of her busy life's challenges. The magic is in her last sentence, I think.
Inspiration
Sometimes my muse disappears. When she does (and she does it often), I don’t go looking for her. I go about life, figuring that she too needed a vacation, and usually her departure coincides with the fact that both my house and studio are a royal mess.
Usually at that point in time, I also need a break from my workaholic life, and welcome my muse’s retreat. I rest, research, and look.
My down times are when I find I am most inspired. I spend time traveling, taking in the landscape and adventures while visiting museums, historical sites, shopping, or sitting in Barnes and Noble looking at magazines. Sometimes I peruse the internet, looking at art, and scan my Twitter and Facebook pages, finding shows or art challenges. Or maybe I watch a movie, read - and write blogs.
One of the ways I have jump started my art is by participating in collaborative internet art challenges/books which are based on a theme - which force me to think outside my comfort zone, and out of the box. Sometimes my best art has come from those challenges, and they have inspired me to do a series of work.
I carry a camera and an extra set of batteries on my adventures so that I can capture images which will eventually become inspiration for a body of work.
Don’t fret that the muse has left for a while. She always returns, full of energy.
Enjoy the quiet, the adventure, and make your life a work of art in progress.
See more about Patti at
http://pagibbons.com
http://pagibbons.blogspot.com
One artist friend, Patti Gibbons, seems to do the balance thing extremely well, so I asked her to share what inspires her; what keeps her going, actually, it seems more like flying....through all of her busy life's challenges. The magic is in her last sentence, I think.
Inspiration
Sometimes my muse disappears. When she does (and she does it often), I don’t go looking for her. I go about life, figuring that she too needed a vacation, and usually her departure coincides with the fact that both my house and studio are a royal mess.
Usually at that point in time, I also need a break from my workaholic life, and welcome my muse’s retreat. I rest, research, and look.
My down times are when I find I am most inspired. I spend time traveling, taking in the landscape and adventures while visiting museums, historical sites, shopping, or sitting in Barnes and Noble looking at magazines. Sometimes I peruse the internet, looking at art, and scan my Twitter and Facebook pages, finding shows or art challenges. Or maybe I watch a movie, read - and write blogs.
One of the ways I have jump started my art is by participating in collaborative internet art challenges/books which are based on a theme - which force me to think outside my comfort zone, and out of the box. Sometimes my best art has come from those challenges, and they have inspired me to do a series of work.
I carry a camera and an extra set of batteries on my adventures so that I can capture images which will eventually become inspiration for a body of work.
Don’t fret that the muse has left for a while. She always returns, full of energy.
Enjoy the quiet, the adventure, and make your life a work of art in progress.
See more about Patti at
http://pagibbons.com
http://pagibbons.blogspot.com
Labels: artist's inspiration, Patti Gibbons.
3 Comments:
And I wanted to add that by perusing the groups/internet, and doing art challenges, I met Chaska many years ago. We have been Internet/art friends for years now, and I am honored to have been asked to be a guest here!! THANK YOU CHASKA!!!
Great to see Patti. I've missed her. She has the best ideas.
Brilliant! I love that Patti doesn't fret when her muse goes walkabout, but instead takes the time out to rest and pursue other creative angles.
Thanks, Chaska, for this great article!
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