Inspiration.....
As an artist I often get asked 'where do I get my inspiration from?' I find this question strange as someone who makes things and lives a life as an artist I am inspired by everything.I raise this point just because Ive been asked the question twice recently by people who are self confessed non artists,or believe that they have no creative ability.
Whether you draw,paint,sew,write creatively,sculpt or play and instrument or dance whatever its all a creative outlet.So to ask the question where does inspiration come from,do they think I am only inspired by one thing or one area?I do get inspired by one thing or one area but not for any great length of time,I know some artists spend their entire lives obsessed with for example the human form and the curve of a brow. But I don't.I do get obsessed by things and creating and this trait I have come to utilise and recognise. Right now the work I'm doing is very fox and wolf orientated,sleeping animals,hibernation,stillness and waiting.I know this period wont last long as these phases with me don't. What I do try and do is whilst I'm in this frame of mind is get as many ideas down on paper and models made up whilst its all constantly on my mind and fresh and full of obsessive energy.Inspiration comes in every possible direction and I mean that whole heartedly. The things I make to give it a rough heading would be edgy,dark,fairytale,sometimes slightly Victorian and odd.When looking for inspiration I don't just look at things of this nature.
I give an example, I walk into the city from where I live,it takes about 20mins. On the way I go under a concrete tunnel that's under a main road. This tunnel is covered in graffiti of the kind that you can imagine the usual tags and mindless scribble. But there is a drawing of a girls face that I'm always drawn to. A peaceful face,eyes closed with flowing hair. Its not the most amazing drawing in the world but next to the rest of the graffiti it works and makes sense,tells a story and my mind thinks about who she is and the world she inhabits.
Who drew her? Whats her name? If she had a doll what would it look like? Before you know it you have ideas,lots of them,fast and fantastic.Inspiration from graffiti,that ends up nothing to do with graffiti!?
The point I want to make is to be inspired to do something can come from anything. Anything at all.
Everybody is inspired.Everybody has the ability to be creative,if they think they aren't then I think they just need to 'wake it up' or find the right medium with which to express themselves.I do realise that all of this is incredibly personal and are my beliefs but I really believe it.
There are people who don't create,who don't see the world as others do,who aren't moved by music and don't see the beauty in a fallen leaf. I know only of the world I see and of how it moves me and as an artist am compelled to communicate my ideas,for love,for joy and often for sanity.
I wish you all an inspired New Year full of fallen leaves and girls faces sleeping in a graffiti world.
Whether you draw,paint,sew,write creatively,sculpt or play and instrument or dance whatever its all a creative outlet.So to ask the question where does inspiration come from,do they think I am only inspired by one thing or one area?I do get inspired by one thing or one area but not for any great length of time,I know some artists spend their entire lives obsessed with for example the human form and the curve of a brow. But I don't.I do get obsessed by things and creating and this trait I have come to utilise and recognise. Right now the work I'm doing is very fox and wolf orientated,sleeping animals,hibernation,stillness and waiting.I know this period wont last long as these phases with me don't. What I do try and do is whilst I'm in this frame of mind is get as many ideas down on paper and models made up whilst its all constantly on my mind and fresh and full of obsessive energy.Inspiration comes in every possible direction and I mean that whole heartedly. The things I make to give it a rough heading would be edgy,dark,fairytale,sometimes slightly Victorian and odd.When looking for inspiration I don't just look at things of this nature.
I give an example, I walk into the city from where I live,it takes about 20mins. On the way I go under a concrete tunnel that's under a main road. This tunnel is covered in graffiti of the kind that you can imagine the usual tags and mindless scribble. But there is a drawing of a girls face that I'm always drawn to. A peaceful face,eyes closed with flowing hair. Its not the most amazing drawing in the world but next to the rest of the graffiti it works and makes sense,tells a story and my mind thinks about who she is and the world she inhabits.
Who drew her? Whats her name? If she had a doll what would it look like? Before you know it you have ideas,lots of them,fast and fantastic.Inspiration from graffiti,that ends up nothing to do with graffiti!?
The point I want to make is to be inspired to do something can come from anything. Anything at all.
Everybody is inspired.Everybody has the ability to be creative,if they think they aren't then I think they just need to 'wake it up' or find the right medium with which to express themselves.I do realise that all of this is incredibly personal and are my beliefs but I really believe it.
There are people who don't create,who don't see the world as others do,who aren't moved by music and don't see the beauty in a fallen leaf. I know only of the world I see and of how it moves me and as an artist am compelled to communicate my ideas,for love,for joy and often for sanity.
I wish you all an inspired New Year full of fallen leaves and girls faces sleeping in a graffiti world.
That, Mr Finch, is one perfect post.
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog in a lurky way, but today I had to come out of the shadows ... You write with such clarity.
During dry times, when I'm not feeling remotely creative or obsessive I look for something 'ugly' and then tease it until I find some random 'otherliness' or story to connect to. It is then that I can move on to create something new, and entirely unconnected ... except in my head, that is.
It is this ability to transform the mundane, in fact to embrace the mundane, that you have described so beautifully.
Your work has that wonderful edgy darkness to it that we lap up as children from fairy tales and then tend to lose, because we grow up to believe that all fear is bad.
Hoorah! Let the leaves come a fallin! Thank you for a great read.
Finch, I agree with Sarah. Fabulous post. Interesting to read of both your personal process (as I find your work both exciting and unique) and your views on inspiration.
ReplyDeleteIt's not often that I stop to read a blog post without first being attracted by a picture, but you never fail to get my attention. Thanks for sharing these thoughts.
Sarah and Chantel,thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI was worried that it had turned into a rant but I felt like I needed to say it!
Finch.