inspiration

I think creating takes both inspiration and action.

It is important to give yourself time for each. This might take a little patience.

I sometimes have an internal conflict when I am in inspiration mode and really want to be in action mode. Or the other way around. This is when I try to pause and remind myself to give me time and space.

On the inspiration end, I

• Take walks in the woods
• Browse Pinterest and
• Go to Museums or galleries

To get into action mode, I

• Set up my studio space ahead of time
• Use a 20 minute timer
• Do daily mark making

In between inspiration and action, I think there is an incubation period. This is the magical time when ideas develop into expression. You may not know how the evolution happens, but at some point marks, images and ideas seem to fall into place.

I encourage you to notice your cycle of making. This noticing helps me go with the flow in those quiet times of incubation.

Coming soon, the Torn Trees Workshop. It is an online mixed media class. We will use gelatin printmaking, collage and mark making to build abstract forests. Get all the details on the workshop page.

With the busyness of today’s world, it can be hard to hear the voice inside you. I know I go to my phone constantly for answers and ideas.

This does not have to be a good or bad thing. It is just a way of finding answers or information.

I would like to trust myself a little more and be better able to move forward without needing to check the weather or the surf cam first.

To help me quiet the outside world and be able to hear my intuition, I go into the woods. But even there I have my phone to measure my pace or photograph a shadow.

Writing helps release some of the chatter. I often do stream of consciousness writing, as described in The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron.

Willingness to not know the answer yet and be in a state of uncertainty is helpful. It takes time and practice to hear and listen to your intuition. Little by little you will get better at knowing what is right for you.

What does this have to do with printmaking?

Well, I think much of art making is learning to play with tools by learning to listen to your intuition. Of course there are physical skills and maybe even design principles that are necessary.  But the magic happens when you trust yourself to try it and see what happens.

As a teacher, I am always trying to foster both the physical skills and the trust in one’s self. I think of learning as a cycle of hard skills and experimentation. And only the student knows if she is ready for hard skills or it’s time to play.

If this approach to learning sounds interesting to you, then check out the Gelatin Print Project. It is a 3 part online printmaking class that starts soon.

One way to infuse your art practice with new energy is to try something new, and maybe even seemingly unrelated to your usual art making habits.

A few “new” skills that I have played with are:

• Clay play – this was so addictive and fun. I learned I like to see results fast and that a lot of printmaking techniques can be used in making clay objects. I took a local class.
• Photography challenge – This one is so easy to do with digital phones and cameras. Just stop and capture what catches your eye. I use shadow photos all the time to make drawings and stencils. I just set challenges for myself.
• Sew, knit or crochet something.  I have made quilts, aprons and bags with my monoprinted fabric. Threads, yarns and fibers always work their way into my prints.

The key is to embrace the beginner’s mind, open, curious and willing. So I encourage you to find something new to try. It doesn’t even have to be about making something.

Sometimes a class helps to learn a new skill. Maybe the Gelatin Print Project is just what you need. Read all the details about this class on the workshop page.