The Source of Inspiration

Inspiration can come from just about anything at all. Photographs, a beautiful outdoors scene, beloved animals, a persons face or body position, a tragedy like 9/11, love, a written prompt, music, literature and of course imagination.

I think creative people never stop thinking of creating. I am constantly screening ideas in my mind, as images come into consciousness. For just this reason, I aways have a small journal, pencil and a kneaded eraser with me. Many idea never pan out but occassionally one will merge with another and something completely different emerges from the paper. It's pure fun!. Like a exploration into an unknown place, yet the place is me, so I am constantly learning about the power of creativity and about myself.

 

I cannot throw out a good piece of paper that I probably spent a good deal of money on,  when a project  doesn't look right to me. My habit has been either to save the whole sheet as is for an inspired day, or rip it up for scrap. So not to long ago, I was going through some "pre-used" paper and found a whole sheet with some smudges and marks  proof of a failed watercolor and I began to rip it up and throw it into a box. Suddenly,  I saw an image. I began gluing the torn paper to a board, and then rapidly covered it with several colors from an old watercolor palette. As soon as the paint was dry, I used a black sharpie to draw in a woman weeping. To this day, people see it and ask what inspired me. The looks are rather confused when I say, scrap paper. Granted, this kind of work is just a creative exercise that frees up new possibilities. But it is so much fun!