“I INVENT NOTHING; I REDISCOVER.” ~ AUGUSTE RODIN
I love moving through art museums to see the innovative art created today, as well as the antiquities on display from centuries ago. I can often find a thread or connection between art created hundreds of years apart, and I find this continuum comforting and inspiring. From the carved marks on an Egyptian sarcophagus to the dancing brushstrokes of an impressionist painter, it’s artists who visually reveal the history of our planet whose contributions encourage us to keep it going.
“INVENTION, IT MUST BE HUMBLY ADMITTED, DOES NOT CONSIST IN CREATING OUT OF VOID BUT OUT OF CHAOS.” ~ MARY SHELLEY There are some studies, like this one, that have suggested a messy environment encourages creative thinking. Some say creativity born from chaos as a visual networking of unrelated items unexpectedly residing near one another encourages new ways of thinking. And this does work for some.
“TO HAVE A GREAT IDEA, HAVE A LOT OF THEM.” ~ THOMAS EDISON
I have kept an “inspiration box” for 20 years. It is overflowing with pages ripped from magazines, with photos, cards, colorful beads, feathers — anything that appeals to me visually. And, today it is even easier to collect sources that stimulate creativity.
“ANYONE CAN LOOK FOR FASHION IN A BOUTIQUE OR HISTORY IN A MUSEUM. THE CREATIVE EXPLORER LOOKS FOR HISTORY IN A HARDWARE STORE AND FASHION IN AN AIRPORT.” ~ ROBERT WIEDER
Art and design are everywhere. You see it in the curve of a car’s fender, the patina on an old bicycle rack, the iridescence of a butterfly wing, an unusual color juxtaposition in a passerby’s clothing choice, graffiti on the walls or in billboard ads. Soak it all in.
“IT IS A COMMON EXPERIENCE THAT A PROBLEM DIFFICULT AT NIGHT IS RESOLVED IN THE MORNING AFTER THE COMMITTEE OF SLEEP HAS WORKED ON IT.” ~ JOHN STEINBECK
“ANYONE WHO HAS NEVER MADE A MISTAKE HAS NEVER TRIED ANYTHING NEW.” ~ ALBERT EINSTEIN
Never be afraid to implement your ideas. Any artistic attempt, whether you feel it is successful or not, is a lesson, not a loss, and may even lead to a more satisfying creative endeavor. Another artist once said to me, “It’s only paper.” That was good advice.
“IN EVERY WORK OF GENIUS, WE RECOGNIZE OUR ONCE REJECTED THOUGHTS.” ~ RALPH WALDO EMERSON
Now that your creative mind is in high gear, and you have some fabulous and exciting ideas, act on them. I have a theory — questioned by some — that ideas fall to the earth and hit a number of people on the head at the same time. Act on your inspiration before you see it on Instagram executed by another artist.
