Where Does "Inspiration" Come From?
It has been "Labor Day Weekend," here in the US of A.
A couple of our artists came to visit at the gallery over the weekend. Oddly enough, both of them-- independently of each other-- lamented feeling "a lack of inspiration," recently.
A "Colorless" Summer?
One artist described the summer as being "colorless," compared to years gone by.
Damselfly on stone
We tried to close in on what that meant, exactly... with very little success... although we covered different elements, from the fact that our local weather has been "relentlessly warm and hazy" with the complete absence of rainy days, afternoon thunderstorms, sudden winds, bright and brilliant days... to the fact that regional arts & crafts show and street festivals seem to have been "relentlessly just below average," with no flashes of brilliance and no disasters.
After I came home from the gallery last night, I considered my own work, this summer.
It, too, has been somewhat minimal and uninspired. And due to lackluster sales, I have built more of an "inventory" than I have had in some years, further leaving me without a desire to add more.
Meanwhile, I haven't really felt inspired to write very much, either. I had "planned" and "hoped" to put more effort into developing this blog, for example, on behalf of the gallery.
So where DOES Inspiration Come From?
For me, there has always been an element of feeling like "Today is a new day, FILLED with possibilities!" after which I feel inclined to get going with stuff.
Haven't had that feeling, in a really long time.
Oak Creek, near Sedona, AZ
What brings the feeling?
Usually, it's some kind of exciting news, or some kind of event that leaves us feeling like "things have changed." And therein certainly lies some of this summer's reasons for feeling like I'm "in the doldrums." It has felt like "relentless sameness" since early June.
Not very inspiring.
I have never been much good at "manufacturing" inspiration, out of thin air... It's not that I need "reasons" to create, but absent some kind of "inspirational trigger," the work suffers. It remains as dull and bland as its uninspired surroundings.
With writing, I have sometimes overcome "the blahs" by entering contests... using someone else's "triggers" to get myself jump started. It's not reliable, but it's better than nothing...
The psychology of creativity remains a mystery.
How has YOUR summer been, from an inspiration standpoint? Has it been busy? Have you felt happy with what you've created? Does your creativity tend to hold steady, or does it come and go, depending on what's happening around you? Share your experience and leave a comment!
The Red Dragonfly is an independent alternative art gallery located in Port Townsend, WA; showcasing edgy and unique contemporary art & handmade crafts by local and worldwide artists. All images are our own, unless otherwise credited. Where applicable, artist images used with permission.
In Psychology it has been known for a century, that colors affect our psyche. #"One artist described the summer as being "colorless," compared to years gone by"#, which means, when no colors, a moodless expresion in your psyche appears. There are many different effects on the psyche, depending on what color you are missing. But when the story was like this # our local weather has been "relentlessly warm and hazy"# My interpretation of that is the missing color of blue in it's many variation. When blue is missing in your life, your creativity will disappear. Strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft blues will calm the mind and aid concentration. It is the color of clear communication. And when one have studiet "weather modification programs" and the "mainstream medias " supposedly 11 new invented clouds, then one will understand how? and why?
http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours
https://www.colorpsychology.org/blue/
Great post
Well, thanks for the brilliant and extensive reply! I will say that blue has been very weak (weather wise) this summer.
We have had a couple of periods (each lasting a couple of weeks) where the smoke from forest fires in Canada pretty much obscured the sky and just made it pale brown instead of blue. When that happens, the sea is also reflecting more gray than blue. Now we just got another session of very thick smoke from forest fires...
Interesting to see so much background on colors...
Possibly the long hot glorious summer that the Pacific Northwest has had to endure this year is part of the problem. ;)
Perhaps taking your wares on a journey for a flea market roadshow might change the mood.
Just a thought. Steem the Dream!
I'm not sure. I'll certainly say that one day has seemed a lot like the next one... moreso than most years. Hopefully the first winds of fall will soon blow in.
It has been a while since we've gone to a festival-- might be a good idea.
Nothing like old school marketing.
Thanks for post! Probably Steemit needs more authors like you :-)
Thanks.
Ah I was just thinking about inspiration today! I was searching for it myself, and I had the thought that we generally expect inspiration to just come to us. If it hasn't come, it isn't there... kind of thing.
Whereas perhaps the truth is that although sometimes inspiration does just come, other times we have to work for it. Dig for it, and create it where there seems to be none.
Logically, in this universe of infinite possibilities, it seems to me that there should be inspiration to be found in every millisecond of every day..?
But I've had plenty of those days where I just can't seem to get fired up and my point is blunt as it were!
Thanks for your comment @johleen! Just this morning, I was thinking about how I was feeling a bit "blah" again, so I got to thinking about how I need to put myself in (creative) "harms way" in order for inspiration to strike.
Of course, we're not talking about actual harm here... but just trying to retrace my steps towards things that have previously "triggered" creativity. Like working in the yard... or cooking. It's almost inevitable that a creative inspiration strikes me when I am LEAST able to act on it... in the middle of cooking a complex meal, or up to my elbows in dirt and dust and muck.
So I cooked a full breakfast. And sure enough... got ideas for three articles and made some hurried sketches while flipping the bacon.
Haha! That's a good point actually... maybe the answer is to make sure you have no laptop, no pen or paper, no phone and no other way of actually doing anything with a new strike of inspiration... and then it will surely come! :)
Oooh, I have just remembered that doing headstands is supposed to help with inspiration... added blood flow to the head and all that. I've not tried this though. Perhaps I should do this when I'm at work in the office tomorrow.
It will start a bit of gossip if nothing else heehee!
Hadn't heard that about handstands... but it would definitely give people something to talk about!
Haha! Yes, maybe you would end up being someone else's inspiration!!
loved ur post
crazy knowledge in post