Sometimes, when graced with a bit of artistic angst, you might find yourself on an inspiration quest. Other times inspiration hits you unexpectedly. You might glance up, noticing that your little arachnid spinning friend is making quite good progress, and Spark!! Inspiration.
Inspiration comes in many forms. Music, voices, color, dreams. The list is never-ending. I find that for me, the main thing is to make sure that I let my thoughts unravel and go with the flow. Not always easy… I find myself locked up in the studio lately, creating. Friends in the real world beg me to come out. The problem is, I just can't. I am bonding with my other friends, the Brush family. And, any free time I have lately, I like to spend in the studio. I find myself becoming very very selfish with my time. All week I have had to go out into the real world and deal with this & that. So, when I get free time, I just want to hoard it all to myself.
The best way for me to find inspiration, is to lock myself away with these lovely friends. I think creating regularly is the key to greater artistic flow. Actually, I find it to be totally true in my case. Also, I find that I flourish with regular creativity. It is like anything in life, do it often you get better and better, like rollerskating? It also gets easier to open your mind to it.
Locking yourself away does not mean, you have to isolate yourself from the world for 2 weeks. I think it is simply, making the most of the time you have to play with. So, if you only have an hour to lock yourself away from the real world, by all means, do it! Even if you can only take 15 minutes. It is a time to refuel your soul. And, boy, my soul loves refueling… I love losing myself in this messy world…
Murky water and all!
I find such simple bliss in searching for the perfect color…
Don't forget to sneak a little spiked tea (okay, I rarely spike, but the idea is romantic) into your studio. Just, try not to look as afraid and guilty as I do. Although, as I get older, one little sip of liqueur and I am out cold. I mean out, totally cold, within 15 minutes.
The one thing I have to remind myself, is to actually go outside & get a breath of fresh air. Sometimes, I will spend the whole day at the easel or my painting door, and not realize the whole day has gone by. Today I went outside with my camera and took pictures with my new giant 101 lb. camera. Okay, I am exaggerating, but it is ridiculously heavy. I'll need a neck brace soon if I am not careful… This was my favorite photograph… I put this pot outside in the garden to deteriorate a little more. I love it now!! I think it is ready to come inside. I love old crackling, peeling, stained things.
What makes you tic? How do you search for inspiration? How do you get in the creative mood?
And, really, can we put ourselves in that mood? Or does it have to come naturally?? Is it a Passion?? All I know for now, is that I plan to have a creative paint filled weekend… It started with today's creation. Rescuing of the Mime (In my shop)
Up close & in person, you can see her thin delicate long eyelashes. I am finding such an intense amount of joy in creating these paper dresses. This painting surprised me today. I stood it in the wondow sill and walked away. When I went back for it, it was glowing. The light entering the back of the painting created a bit of a stained glass effect. It was amazing, the hot air balloons were so vivid, they almost looked like they were moving… A treat for whoever this piece goes to live with…
I intend to spend the entire weekend in the studio…
writing a long string of words that will wrap their way around my heart.
Kind of like her eyelashes
beautiful painting! I think about the creativity puzzle all the time… I know I can’t control being in a creative mood, it feels like a waiting game sometimes.
Beautiful painting. Creativity, inspiration etc is a tricky subject I often have the inspiration but then dream away the free time I have to create on that inspiration. And as for this weekend well it’s not raining (yet) so I have to get the lawns cut. Oh so exciting!!
Vanessa I say again that I loooooove your new work
Best piece of art EVER! Yay Vanessa!
I am cracked, peeling and stained…is that why you like me?
My inspirational ideas come in my suenos! I wake up with ‘hot’ ideas and I’m so glad 🙂
Hey Nessy Ness……love the new work, love the dreamy new style. Looks like I’ll be saving up again for another purchase.
xxMeesh
oh she is enchanting…i will be unpacking…arranging…doddling…when i want to be in the studio creating…perhaps those will be the next boxes unpacked…i wanted to get the living spaces under control first…but i long for brushes and paint and glue and polymer clay…almost everything inspires me…the poster clild for ADD, sometimes i am overwhelmed with sensory stimuli…i sometimes MUST withdraw into my own world without excess noise to be creative…not a big drinker, my recent drink of choice is Tanquery and Tonic with extra lime…i get giddy with two sips…i have a new gin love tho – Bombay Sapphire…but i need to finish the T first…happy creating my friend…blessings, rebecca
Inspiration comes creeping in whenever you least expect it doesn’t it? A friend came into the shop yesterday to commission some of my little ephemera pieces from me…because she said she wanted to surround herself with things that inspire her…so, look at that…I am inspiring someone. I diligently set forth to create yesterday, and time flew by. I forgot to eat…I didn’t do anything but create…I love it when that happens!
Oh my she is beautiful! I am so in love with these dresses. Being in that state of creating is like a drug. Everything goes away…. you find your own world…. Where you know the places and people by heart. I love being in that state! (I’d like to move their some day!)
I love the new painting! So GOREGEOUS! I love the ballons. They make me happy!
You already know I am enchanted by your art and the way you think! We are twins! I too love all the chippy, distressed things and have just this morning brought in a very chippy, rusty, distressed iron urn, which I left on the balcony to age some more! It’s fun to peek into your studio.xo
Oh Vanessa you took the words right out of my heart! I have had more time in the studio this week than I have in a couple of months and boy do I feel better for it – my soul feels fed and hungry for more. Why does ‘life’ have to get in the way??? Your new piece is incredible, the dress the balloons – can you keep that ‘lit from behin’ feel to it – perhaps with fairy lights attached?? xxx
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this post. Your words, the beautiful images… Thanks so much for sharing it with us!
I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one who isn’t afraid to be a shut-in with their artwork. I have been constantly in the studio lately, and if I’m not there, I am wishing I was. There must be something in the air… Inspiration is coming to me double time lately! I think one thing that spurred it on was a walk through the “junk lady’s shoppe” the other day. We drove out half an hour to see her, and every time I go there I leave with such unique, magical things. I did a whole photo project a while ago that was simply close-ups of rust and wear from her huge yard full of the most random accumulations you can imagine…
Victorian picture frames rest on a bed of auto parts… A rusty green kitchen sink holds a pile of vintage fabric trimmings… A 1960’s big-eyed boudoir doll hangs out atop a pile of dirty coffee mugs…
It’s heaven to someone like me, and I think you’d love it, too. The best part is that everything comes pre-aged (with rusty, paint-peeling goodness!), because most of it sits outside without any cover.
It’s a shame finding moldy fabric and paper items, though… I used to buy them anyway, then hide it from my boyfriend. I think any type of aging on an object is so beautiful. It worked until our allergies started getting really bad from so much moldy stuff, so I’m no longer “allowed” to buy mold – ha ha! It’s been tough. I’m weird. 🙂
Oh Vanessa!!! I adore this latest painting!! The hotair balloons in the background is magical!
Inspiration is a lovely thing and it comes at the most unexpected times. I find it all around me and through people in my life. Sometimes my own art inspires me…..that is how series come about.
Lately I have found great inspiration on the blogs I visit and yours in particular inspires me to no end. For one so young you are way ahead in all things art and life.
I have bursts of enegy and inspiration and then spend hours in the studio only coming up for air, water and food. I tend to ignore the phone, laundry and other domestic tasks.
You have lovely eyes and I have cup envy 🙂
Great post as alwys…your ladies and their lovely skits and movement are great.
GORGEOUS! I love the painting! Also the photo of the brushes…so beautiful!
my inspiration is people like you! i read alot quite a few blogs of artistic, talented ladies that inspire me to no end….it makes me want to create after seeing what my blogging friends make, it really boggles my mind to see such imaginative work from you and others!
i love that photo of you drinking…your eyelashes are so long…i am totally envious as i have the tiniest lashes ever!
Wow..!!!!!!! I sure felt the power of passion in this post…..
now here I am thinking that I have OCD because all I want to do ALL THE TIME is create, I can’t sleep at night because the ideas keep flooding my brain! but now I see, I am not disordered, I am simply an artist. A very inspired and time-poor artist. Tomorrow I have a free day, free form children that is, so I will enter the world of creating knowing that all of you here understand!
I love the new painting!!!And wow you have the most beautiful eyes!!And miss V you inspire people every day with your wonderful disposition!
hugs Dees
I am really loving your creativity lately, all your work is so beautiful and unique, in particular the paper dresses, wow! I see that this piece is already sold, I agree with the comment above that it’s your best piece yet! lucky recipient 🙂
Isn’t it wonderful when you dive into creativity like you are doing right now. Blessings and smiles to you.
I absolutely love your work!
You know I feel exactly the same way. I have had so much that kept me OUT of the studio and away from art and inspiration that NOW that I am getting back to my soul…well it’s ALL I want to do. (to the neglect of things like laundry etc I might add, not just friends). I am still not cranking it out like I want but it’s all I want to do. It feeds me to my core. This was a fantastic post because truly it spoke right to me!(and I know so many others feel this way too)
XOXO
haha …yeah…Rachael Ray DRIVES me crazeee! How many times can she say yum or EVOO in 30 minutes! It’s a big joke amongst my friends when we cook a meal! Yummo! She has waaaay too much energy!
I love that painting and I really really love the dresses that you make for your ladies. This was a good post for me to read today. Ineeded a little inspiration!!
Hello there,
Thank you for your comment. Wow, I am really sorry for what happened to you, but sometimes ordering stuffs online can be a pain in the back side. I think for the cheaper it seems, the best thing is to stick to websites we know. I am still waiting for them to come and to collect the faulty sewing machine (3 attempt) and I have gave up on their replacement and got another sewing machine from another place. When the replacement arrive I will send it back and get the money back. At least I hope so.
It was veru nice to meet you. 🙂 Will come back here for sure. 😉
x
hi Vanessa!
loving these paper dresses too
Boone says hi Auntie V.
and I totally know this…
as you know
sometimes I just hole up
with mySelf
and my stuff
and now…
my sweet little art campers…
have gone home
cleaning
organizing
and now…
well – I guess we will see…
xox – eb.
Agreed…this is an amazing piece of art!
I adore this new work of yours. Really lovely.
And I can see where she gets her lovely eyelashes from. (wink!)
You have me just aching to do something creative! This unpacking business is so not fun! I have found my paints but not any canvas yet. I think Iam going to have to do something this week that is artsy or lose it! And I am in love with the new ice-dispensing fridge. So I guess my drink of choice is super cold water with a straw.
I take most of my inspiration from creeping around in the outside world, but the hours that I spend “locked in” by myself are the most important to me. I can’t have one without the other. The time spent on my own in my own space with my crafty things is invaluable to me, but it would be worthless, too, if I didn’t have those outside glimpses to work off of.
Dear Fanci,
I missed this one the other day. Sorry. I would like to say that I struggle too. I love people and I need to create to survive. It is a balancing act. I see why it was not in the plan for me to have children, for many reasons. One of them being I must create in order to breath. Creativity comes in many forms. I’ll take any of them. Thankfully I found my partner who appreciates me for me!! and likewise me for him. Yes I agree. Creativity is everywhere! I absorb it all day long. I LOVE IT! It is so cool that you can have time to devote to you blog because I like knowing you in your world!!
I’ve read a lot about it but haven’t tried it yet. I would like to try it in food and for hair care 🙂