Has your "Inspiration Pilot Light" gone out? Are you having difficulty finding motivation to channel into your art or passion? Do you feel lately that everything you create is missing something? That somehow you would like the things you fashion to have a soul and spirit of their own? Maybe you just want whatever it is you're making to have that "WOW!!!" factor. You know, the "Thing", the "It" that make folks take a second look, cock their heads or let out a tiny gasp instead of just a tired glance as they pass by. Would you just like to feel satisfied within yourself about what you've created and how you have executed a piece? As a maker it is difficult enough to draw people into your artist's space or world without feeling you've missed the mark in translating a part of yourself into your precious creations. It's a vulnerable place to be, but after all, this is what gives art substance and animation.
I have come to understand that this "essence" is a clear, deliberate and specific mindset fueled by what excites us in other areas of life. Whether it is travel, nature, fitness, music, fashion, spiritual things, literature, cooking, architecture, relationships or other artistic genres we need to make those connections on a regular if not daily basis. Incorporating these sparks of inspiration ignites new visions and dreams of what we can accomplish. These pipelines cultivate new life within the soul of an individual no matter their artistic or professional aspirations. Everyone has a natural bent or knack for something. Self-discovery of what makes one tick as an individual invariably flows into what makes one tick as an artist. The idea is to establish a continual stream of stimulation, but also a kind of rest coupled with it to rejuvenate your artistic balance.
In the last few years I have pondered the question of my own creative ebb and flow, and why sometimes I feel absolutely devoid of any vision or energy to produce. After a while I understood that "Making" is not all about producing unless in the producing you also provide something of value to yourself and the audience you wish to capture. Today, I sort of had a "lightbulb" moment in the respect that I remembered years ago as a fashion and art student that I actively illustrated, painted, sewed, quilted, beaded, and sculpted all the time. It seemed I was immersed in life to the point that everything was interesting to me and I in turn became interesting. The body of work I created back in those heady days boggled the mind, and I can honestly say I knew who I was as an artisan and the direction I was taking. The bottom line is I loved to do things with my hands, and just wanted to see them materialize before my eyes.
Needless to say, I have decided to start creating what I call "Muse" boards. Every week I have decided to put together a collage of nine items that really catch my eye or sort of take my breath away so to speak. I can put any number of themes together keeping within the nine item framework. The only two challenges to this exercise will be to keep the collection to nine and that the assortment must be as remarkable, thought-provoking, unusual or out of the ordinary as possible. Anyway, see a small sample below. This week my board is based on different women's portraits that are enhanced digitally, strikingly beautiful or suggest an otherworldly theme. Keep in mind that one person's "amazing!!!" could easily be another person's mundane. Happy Musing!
The Orthy Jeweler
