Ideas and inspiration
How does it happen?
The pile had been on her studio floor for several weeks, but she hadn’t noticed it anymore. It was the place where she kept things that she couldn’t yet find a place to hang or tuck away.
But then she saw something. Noticed something different in that pile. An idea.
In that pile were her recent mark-making pages, cut-up collage squares, and silvery-spirited Photinia leaf chimes. Had they been whispering to each other, colluding together on the idea all along?
They were unfinished, and they wanted more, knowing there was something more. They envisioned their potential, and they knew it, even if the artist had not yet. They needed the artist’s attention to make it happen. And so they caught her.
She was suddenly drawn in, curious. The artist got closer. What was she seeing? The way the silver wire wrapped around the stick and kept the spiraling leaves windswept. The black marks on the paper, in their own tempestuous storm. She saw it. A new chime—a way of making chimes with these materials—in a way she hadn’t tried before. She was completely inspired.
Is that how ideas come about? What is that thing, that nod of inspiration, that moves one to create? The artist wondered about this as she began, choosing Heavenly Bamboo sticks and painting more Photinia leaves, both from her back garden collected in other seasons.
As she made the square collages, there were subtle hints of what felt right, of where to cut, of what combinations to choose.
She liked creating in this way. There was a knowing that the idea would come into being even if she didn’t know everything. Throughout the process, there were gentle nudges, other times a stronger inclination, and always her intuition.
It seemed to her like the vision of the thing she was asked to create was coming into focus—the idea had been dangling all along, somewhat blurry but also clear. She snatched it and it was hers. But she also knew it wasn’t hers.
“You may know this feeling. It’s the feeling you get when you’ve made something wonderful, or done something wonderful, and when you look back at it later all you can say is: I don’t even know where that came from.” Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic, p.66
When the idea came completely to life as a chime in all its variations, the artist felt that the chimes had an aliveness all their own. She loved seeing them, full of wonder and joy, and she just wanted to keep making more. She also liked the sensation of getting out of her way, of letting the idea flow and her inspiration and intuition guide the way. This is why being an artist was so amazing—it was somewhat magical.
“Best of all, though, by saying that you delight in your work, you will draw inspiration near. Inspiration will be grateful to hear those words coming out of your mouth, because inspiration—like all of us—appreciates being appreciated. Inspiration will overhear our pleasure, and it will send ideas to your door as a reward for your enthusiasm and your loyalty.” -Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic, p.119
Clapping with glee…
LouLou
