One of the most wonderful things I discovered as an artist was to make myself aware of my surroundings, as inspiration is always there waiting to be discovered. All we have to do is open our eyes and see. The following are some suggestions based on the things I’ve learned to do, to welcome inspiration to flow in my daily life.
LIVE WITH IT
I believe that creative inspiration and abilities can be absorbed by osmosis, and living with it can make us more creative. Surround yourself with as much art as you can afford.
CREATE AN INSPIRING WORK PLACE
Even if you live in a small apartment with five cats, carve out a corner for your art supplies. I keep a palette, brushes, sponges, water container, a few books, magazines, pictures, a small VCR/DVD player, DVD’s, a practice pad and watercolor tablet in a small table next to my favorite chair. I relax by practicing my strokes and by creating new, original designs. As time goes by, it has become a habit that aids me in improving my skills.
A COOKBOOK OF INSPIRATION
Another tool that has helped me a lot is my collection of scrapbooks. Their pages filled with colorful images from magazines, catalogs, advertisements, my own doodles and other painters’ work are a feast of images and ideas. Most creative people thrive on a steady diet of stimuli. Keep your cookbook of inspiration close at hand and cook up amazing new design ideas.
TREAT YOURSELF TO AN INSPIRING DAY
Give yourself an inspiring break. Start by marking the date in your calendar and making the commitment to just do it. Take a full day, a half day or even a couple of hours to search for inspiration. Plan a trip for the artist in you to a museum, a gallery, art store, bookstore or an artsy part of town. You don’t have to buy anything, just observe and take notes. I can guarantee that by the time you get home, you will be looking forward to sitting in your artist workspace to allow the collected inspiration to flow out of you like a waterfall.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Don’t be afraid to color outside the lines. Picasso didn’t get famous by painting realistic portraits and Dali made us look at faces in a brand new way. Dare to change the rules of what you have been taught and see what happens. Buy yourself a new brush, maybe one of an unusual shape and discover what you can do with it on your own. Find ways to combine colors that in your mind don’t match. Fire your critics (especially your inner one) and know that our growth is in trying new things.
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When I was working on the Face Painting Book of Butterflies, there came a point where I felt that all of the designs were looking very much alike. The next morning while I was sitting by the ocean, I decided to give Jinny a call to ask her for advice. She said to me, “Face painting is fantasy art–anything goes. Think outside the box. Morph your butterflies with another animal or anything that comes to mind. See what happens.†First I didn’t understand exactly what she meant so I decided to close my eyes to meditate on it for a few minutes. When I opened my eyes I saw the most beautiful sunrise and immediately I picked up my drawing pencils and created the sunrise butterfly, which is in the book. The top wings are the colors of the sky at sunrise with a few seagulls decorating it. The bottom wings have the ocean and the beach with a couple palm trees painted in each corner. The sun is the body of the butterfly. It is one of my favorite ones in the book.[clear]
TAKE ART CLASSES
Art classes are inspirational. They help your face and body painting skills to emerge. From one-stroke painting, to ceramics or watercolors, art is art. Inspiration abides in experimenting with all types of art forms.
You can usually find your favorite artists traveling and teaching. Attend one of their classes, or go to a convention to really boost your skills. With the internet ever expanding, it has become easier then ever to find and take a workshop, even taking online classes like FABAtv.com.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Feeling good is also a form of inspiration. Our physical condition and frame of mind are essential raw materials because the source of creativity lives deep within our souls. Taking care to be healthy in body, mind and spirit makes us more receptive to the gifts of inspiration that surround us. Make a list of things you can do that will help you snap out of a low day. Take a candle lit bath, listen to your favorite music, eat fruits and chocolate, go for a walk, read a good book, hug somebody or make a list of all the things in your life that you are grateful for. Say Thank YOU! Then enjoy your artistic work place as you relax and paint!
-Marcela Murad
Co-Producer of the Face and Body Art International Convention
Leave a comment below and tell us what you do to get inspired.
I’ve always loved to doodle & draw but put I had unconsciously put that side of me aside until I discovered Face Painting last year.
All of a sudden, I’m seeing artistic shapes everywhere! Images that were always there now seem to pop out at me! I look at different things/shapes/colors & think, “Wow, what a cool eye design that would make!”
Now all I have to do is to learn how to reproduce on canvas (my arm or an unsuspecting victim) what I see!
FABAIC, here I come & I can’t wait to meet Team Silly Farm!
Christine
PS – I love your blog – please continue to post on these interesting topics!