stop waiting for inspiration.

start sharing, do a little stealing + get back to creating.

when it comes to inspiration, i feel like we spend a lot of time waiting for lightning to strike. for conditions to be just right. for everything to be in its place (including the planets all in a line). when, in reality, inspiration comes in fits and spurts. most often once you’ve already done the hard part and showed up despite not having a grand inspiration wave to ride in on.

neither, nor, now. one of my first vellumworks pieces, heavily inspired by a trip to sf moma and time spent staring at agnes martin’s work.

beyond this just show up approach, i’ve recently found that another way to goad inspiration into magically appearing is through some good ol’ vulnerability + connection. there’s something about sharing with others that often leads to them doing the same, which in turn reveals something back to you.

trust building is at the root of this somehow i’m sure, but on the more obvious, topical level there’s just this basic thing called human connection. it’s an art form in and of itself.

okay, but how does basic human connection unlock inspiration? i’ve got two examples for you…

inspiration unlock example one.

if you read last week’s post, you know that i shared about my analog sketching process and gave an overview of sorts of sticky sketches. if you haven’t yet, go give it a read (or listen!) and then come back for the rest. the next bit will make more sense if you do, i’ve dropped it below…

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the day the post went up a long time friend who happens to be an educator reached out on twitter saying “you’ve inspired me to teach this to my students. they love your art and are excited to give it a try.”

it turns out jen uses graph paper for her students spelling exercises and, through my sharing of process, happened upon a new possibility for those wee pieces of gridded goodness.

a couple days later i was treated to images of the students’ sketches, many similar to my own and even signed in the same manner. not only were the students jumping at the opportunity to create, they weren’t shy about taking direct inspiration from the images of my art that jen shared with them.

“next week i’m going to have them mount their work on a thicker piece of paper and then enter the school art show!” — jen

and that they did. just wow. 😍 great work fellow artists, i love them!

the boost of contact inspiration i received via this whole experience is just, insane. last week i was a bit down in the pits of artist self-loathing and, well, there’s nothing like interaction with talented youths to get you back in touch with what matters.

this wouldn’t have happened had i not applied a bit of the just show up approach and shared my art, process, experience out into the world. that act invited connection and, like magic, inspiration appeared.

inspiration unlock example two.

now maybe you’re thinking, “i don’t have small rockstar humans to bounce inspiration back at me, how does this basic human connection thing unlock inspiration for me?”

to that i say look no further than the writers, painters, cinematographers, designers, directors, photographers, really just any artist you’ve felt that pull of knowing from.

go to a favorite work of theirs and study it, spend time with it and then steal it. make it your own. this is the absolute best way to get out of your funk, to practice, to let go and let inspiration smack you on the head. this is how i ended up with the piece neither, nor, now. featured at the opening of this post.

i also recently did exactly this again, though this time via a request from a fellow artist to participate in a project they’re putting together. blue open metaverse is an initiative by priyanka “to bring more artists whose work i love into my world of blues one artwork at a time.”

priyanka is an artist of many stripes, though most well known for her crisp, moody photography, especially those of a blue hue (i’m lucky enough to own one). when she reached out to ask if i’d make an artwork in my style inspired by "a younger year”, i jumped at the opportunity.

a younger year by priyanka.

this piece of priyanka’s reminds me so much of one of my favorite spots here on the island + another back along the pacific northwest coast and still another in antarctica. creating this piece felt like i was drawing so many places i’ve loved before.

to all our years. my homage to priyanka’s original image.

meant to be viewed in a dark room with contrast turned all the way up, i wanted to take advantage of the all blue theme to explore a feeling i’ve experienced many times, standing alone at night at the waters edge. alone in the deep, blue twilight with the tide and the moon.

creating this piece immediately lifted me out of the lethargic slump i was in. it forced me to get outside of my usual process and study my practice from another angle, from the perspective of another creative human. the connection i felt during this process was peaceful and full of that knowing i mentioned earlier.

the next time you’re stuck, i hope you’ll keep showing up and shake it up a bit when you do. if you need someone to connect with to help shift the lens a bit, you know where to find me.

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when you hit the 🖤 it helps others discover my writing + art, thank you!

i appreciate you reading and / or listening this week! do you have questions or comments? i welcome them below.

see you wednesday!

⚫️✨

“just give me trust and anything can happen.” — muna