Inspiration (?)
When we took a few days to escape to a quiet lake spot at the end of March, Alex and I were both hoping to find Inspiration in the solitude. But one thing I’ve learned about Inspiration is that the harder you push, the less you get…
Never once when I have looked at something and had to force the thought “Oh- could that be something?”, did it come to anything. For me, Inspiration usually hits like lightning at seemingly random times. It has also never come when I was looking for it.
I like the way Elizabeth Gilbert (of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ fame) puts it in her book “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear”- that Inspiration is a fickle entity that comes to someone it thinks can bring it to fruition. But, if we don’t see the signs or do the work, it moves on to the next vessel that will. Have you ever walked into a store and seen something and said “What the?! I thought of that X years ago!”? I know I have!
As I have gotten older and gotten better at trusting my gut- I have learned that to keep my creative juices flowing- so I am ready to do the work Inspiration requires, my brain needs to regularly absorb lots of images and experiences- and then let it marinade. This gives me a pool of ideas to draw from when Inspiration strikes. Surrounding myself with antiques and art usually does the trick. I find it calming and centering to wander the aisles of antique malls and thrift stores. Unfortunately, after Helene most of my favorite wandering spots are gone- which leaves me struggling to refill the creative coffers. But like I mentioned, Inspiration is a fickle thing and still comes, whether I am ready or not sometimes.
So where do I get Inspiration from? I’ll give you a popular quote from the store when I ask customers if they are looking for anything in particular: “I’ll know it when I see it”…
Maitland-Smith Tessellated Stone Box
As soon as I saw this box I just had to have it. I couldn’t really explain to Alex why, but it spoke to me. To me it’s sleek-modern-art deco-ish and I love it. And even though I can’t really articulate why, it hit my Inspiration button. So, I took the first step and listened to my gut and brought it home. It is now my obligation to explore this Inspiration and see where it takes me. Will it inspire me to start making inlay jewelry? Use more triangle shaped stones? Make a whole collection in black, white and gold? I’m not sure just yet. But I’m curious to see what percolates after it marinades. And isn’t that the point of Inspiration? To spur our curiosity and explore new ideas?