“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” – Edith Wharton
My artistic inspiration comes mostly from my emotions and experiences throughout my life. My aim is not to please others with my paintings but rather to express myself. There is a reason why I do not explain my paintings, I am merely interested in what the viewer sees in them. I find their views to be fascinating.
Mother Nature is also a source of inspiration. Within nature itself one can see a stunning array of abstract colours, lines, textures, and shapes, I particularly enjoy my walks during the Autumn months. I am in awe of Mother Nature’s ability to apply saturated colours to our surroundings as well as the feeling of melancholy to a degree. The two photos below are good example for “Autumn”.
The question remains, “How do you know when there is enough inspiration?”
When, and for how long, should you dedicate yourself to seeking out inspiration for your creative work, versus when should you know that you’ve seen enough inspiration to get started creating?
You could spend more than half of your work time seeking out inspiration and exploring options for what it is you want to create, but that won’t do you any good if you aren’t finding the time to create something. Additionally, you can’t expect to create something truly great without first understanding other ideas in the same realm of what it is you’re creating.
As a creative: you must be able to think on your own, to formulate your ideas. But the best way to come up with something original is to combine inspiration. In fact: all ideas are a result of combining other ideas, naturally in the brain.
To know when you should stop seeking inspiration and just get to work takes effort. You have to continuously keep that in mind to be creative.
There are going to be days when you waste time seeking out inspiration, scrolling endlessly through photos you have taken or looking at another painter’s work. That’s ok, you’re also going to experience times when you dive into a project and realise you have no idea what you’re doing, that a bit of inspiration would have gone a long way. That’s ok too. Both situations are the perfect opportunity to learn what’s the right amount of inspiration for you.
The real key is to realise when you’re tricking yourself into believing you need inspiration or not. That’s something you must hone over time. Fortunately, you can start today, right now. As you’re reading this article, ask yourself, “Am I just wasting time when I should be creating or experimenting instead?”
If, at any time of the day, the answer to that question is “No” or “Maybe”, then close all distractions around you, lock yourself in a room, and get to work.
KitKatArt 