Saturday, January 8, 2011

Where does inspiration come from?

Happy new year! Can you believe that the first week in January, 2011 is nearly over? I hope you all had a great holiday! But I can't help feeling a little out of sorts. I mean two thousand eleven really sounds out- there to me!

Jean-Michel Basquiat's Fallen Angel 1981
Well, I haven't posted in awhile. I've been feeling stuck. Inspirationally stuck. Blank page, no words kind of stuck. I have been searching for inspiration, and actually seeing things that really do inspire me. But how do I write about them? How do I put into words what I see and feel? That's been the problem. Do you ever feel like that?

Basquiat's famous Red Skull
Last night I saw this amazing documentary on Jean-Michel Basquiat, called The Radiant Child. I knew of his work before I saw the film, but I guess I never paid that much attention to his point of view, or how very prolific he was during his short life.

During a duel project, Basquiat irreverently painted over parts of  Warhol's work.
I was blown away by his story! His art, his convictions, his confidence that he was doing his art right, and just how driven he was as an artist.

Basquiat's vision of the Mona Lisa
He lived an intensly impassioned life. The paintings and the images that he created were so compelling. Dark with vivid color blocks, stark and intelligent. What an inspiring movie! What an inspiring artist! But still, how do I translate it all to becoming inspired enough to create something myself?

So, I'm dying to know, where do you find inpiration? How do you take those inpirations and turn them into creativity?


7 comments:

  1. When you find the answer, I would love to know!

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  2. I'm inspired by nature and the One who created it!

    Susan
    http://naturally.my-expressions.com

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  3. that documentary was so provocative on many levels! so worth seeing!

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  4. Just checking in again to see if I can (finally) post a comment here. Blogger is hating me lately and my comments disappear the moment I hit the post button - it's maddening. Anyway, I too am inspired most often by the work of others. As for word though - they come from a completely different place. For me anyway, it helps to practice writing about nothing. Pick a theme or a word and just write until I can't anymore. It seems pointless but often it gets me to the place in my brain where the real topics are. Does that make sense?? - Thinking now it is a Firefox issue!!

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  5. Free time has been the motor that starts the inspiration, not to mention a little mystery. Meaning, something I've never seen before can really get the motor running as for example the work of this young painter.

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  6. Thanks for all of the input! Good ideas that all make sense. I'll keep working on it... but it's a very slow process.
    @LD and Kevin, What brilliance he had!

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