How do you find your artistic inspiration?

Question

For those of you who are artists and authors, how do you find your inspiration and drive? What keeps your ideas coming and flowing, and what motivates you to bring them to completion?

And finally, do you have any tips to re-motivate and re-inspire a rather disillusioned artist/author I know? Thanks!

Answer 1

What a wonderful question. I know this is true because I drift in and out of disillusionment and inspiration on nearly a daily basis. I think after all these years I have discovered what works for me and apparently, from reading about the struggles of others with similar difficulties works for them as well. Ready? Wait for it! It's the WORK! Yes that's right, it's the work. It is not some muse which guides me here and there within my artistic self and then abandons me. It is the understanding that if I do the work within my own heart and soul, and head and actually produce product based upon that effort, then whatever I am artistically gets seen by me and others thereby my art is produced. And often when I am so blocked by all those named and unnamed things which I consider to be in my way, and they number in the thousands, which can stop me writing, or photographing or doing whatever it is I can do artistically at that moment, I know that If I just DO IT, write word upon word, nonsensically if necessary, or photograph a bug, or a flower or whatever, anything, my ability will all of a sudden reemerge. I know HOW to take pictures. I KNOW how to write. When I feel blocked and unable to create I have a thousand excuses why I can not create. I can set a thousand barriers in front of me to disallow progress. And I have gone years using those impediments as excuse. But the truth is that no one cares if I write or take pictures. I mean they say they do but in the scheme of things, in comparison to world hunger, war, planetary defilement, my artistic output is of little import. It is only in the RESULT of whatever art I can actually produce that people can find something to feel about my work. I can talk about my art. I can boast about it and promise it and lament its incompleteness. But only if I actually produce something can it be called art. And even then it may be bad art and I may find eventually and sooner rather then later that I suck as an artist. But if I don’t produce something, anything, if I only remain one of those who TALKS art, well then I am just another sap who let the barriers and blockages get in the way of that which I must do to be an artist. Actually make art. So with all that said, my suggestion to you is just do the work. Put word to paper, pen to ink, brush to canvas. Eventually the blocks will fall and the breaks will unsieze. If you are really an artist, your art will get you going again. Good luck.

Answer 2

Read, watch, surf the net, notice, be curious and reflective.

Change your perspective, meaning go someplace you've never been before (it doesn't need to be a different city; it could be just under your kitchen table).

Re-motivating someone else is tough. SELF-expression has to come from the need to express oneself. How do you "re-foster" that need? One way is to demand that the person NOT even attempt to be creative for a week or a month or however long it takes. In other words, restrict the output completely until there is enough stimuli stored up so that the person is at the breaking point with the need to re-channel all that stimulus into an artistic expression.

Go back! Remember all the things that turned you on when you were more gung ho: the artists, the authors, the creative forces. Study them again. Also, learn about something completely new (the history of an area; strange insects; Indian gambling industry; the nature of freon; film noir, etc.)

My personal favorite jolt of inspiration and motivation comes from the author Tom Robbins, specifically his "Still Life with Woodpecker" or "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues."

So, basically, experience the ideas, inspiration and creativity of others, and it will inevitably manifest itself in your own ideas, inspiration and creativity.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm an aspiring author myself, and my drive to bring my work to completion is this little picture I have in my head of what my life could be like if I do it. I can't really explain it... I just have to tell these stories. It'd be such a waste not to finish it. It's almost like depriving the world of what could be a really great novel if I continue to work at it.
As for where my ideas come from, I'm not quite sure. I get a lot of moments where I'm really stuck on how to make something work or what to add in next, but then everything suddenly comes together. I had one just last night, as a matter of fact. I was writing to tell someone about the plot line for my newest idea and as I was explaining it, a bunch of new things came to mind and all fit together.
In the opinion of one Tom Monteleone, the subconscious, for most people, works through the day at cooking up some bizarre and detailed dreams, but for the writer, it's working at solving the problems you have with your writing. I suppose the same would be true for the artist and their art.
Re-motivation, eh? Hm... I'm not so sure about that. I write because I feel that I simply HAVE to. I love writing. It's my passion. A friend of mine has a passion for art. If this "disillusioned artist/author" doesn't love art/writing, I don't think I can help him/her.
As for re-inspiration, I'd say (s)he should just leave it alone for now. The mind works in mysterious ways, and at some point it'll just click. If a deadline's coming into play, I can give you some tips for an author, but I don't know about an artist.
1. Look up some interesting topics on the Internet that you can base a short story on.
2. Write fanfictions or other short stories about characters from a TV series or a movie or something.
3. Dig around in the Philosophy section right here on Answers; those questions will usually get your creative juices flowing and make you think.
4. Ask yourself "What if [fill in blank here] were to happen?" and try to answer.
I hope that helps. Always willing to assist a fellow author or artist.

Answer 4

I enjoy writing, too, and also music. My inspiration comes from the same places as yours. Whenever I'm upset or sad, I either write or play my violin. Sometimes I just write about what's on my mind, and other times I write stories. Escaping into someone else's reality, you know? What's more is that I'm in charge of that reality, and have the power to mold the characters and events to the extent I wish. Music helps me no matter how I'm feeling. It just gives me a constructive release for my emotions, and the beauty of music helps me to get over whatever I'm feeling. Nature also plays a big role in my artistic inspiration. It never ceases to amaze me or make me feel like everything will be alright in the end :)

Answer 5

I am an artist also. I change my surroundings, look at things from many angles and try to look at all things very openminded. Perhaps, a song......I think wow those are wonderful lyrics......I wonder how the person was feeling when they wrote it? I wonder what kinda life that person came from and what they are going through in their lives. We all get writers block, sometimes i visulize things in my life, sometimes I try to peek into other lives and other viewpoints. I have written pieces before about watching a squirrel in the park, but when I finished the piece you had no idea I was describing watching a squirrel in the park. Also the more you try to think of things seems to more it does not come to you. Sometimes meditaion on a total different subject, or simply letting your thoughts rest and just "Let go, Let be" attitude helps. I hope this helps. Good Luck

Answer 6

I am an artist and for inspiration I look to my soul for the answer. It doesn't matter if I'm highly depress or high on life I will paint whatever I feel and some how that always makes me feel balanced. But if I'm feeling disillusioned about painting...it is time to step back and reexamine my career and life and get to the bottom of what is really the problem.

Answer 7

When the well runs dry, I ask myself, what have I been filling the well with? I need a constant flow of putting in what I want to come out. Going to a gallery ALWAYS inspires me, gives me new ideas to springboard from. Reading books that make me really THINK deeply. Even going to a movie that is highly creative and outside the box can spark my creative juices. If I am feeding on negative thoughts or around people who are not encouraging, I dry up.

Answer 8

I actually do dream about my inspiration.

What I often do to re-energize my creativity is to read poetry or something that is verbally creative and illustrate an interpretation of the words. Sometimes it's as simple as looking at old art history books or fantasy art or pixelated video game art.

When you are lost in thought of "what next", look for something you've never done before and make it your own, what would you do different, what elements do you like in each piece, etc.

Answer 9

Sometimes if you are working on something, it is best to not think about it.... put it aside and do something else. The more you think about the fact that you can't write, the more you can't write... it turns into a vicious cycle. Allow your mind to wander, rest or just focus on other things in your life. You will be surprised at how the most mundane thing become fodder for a story! My best ideas come, believe it or not, first thing after I wake up or in the shower. Write when you get an idea and just put it aside for a while and go back to it when you are ready. Be gentle with yourself. It will come.

Good luck!

Answer 10

Inspiration

When inspiration pours forth art
like a flood of waters upon the ground,
The artist arises, shaken.
For he knows that he and the muse
have shared a heart-to-heart conversation.
He stands back in awe
that by his hand was art procreated.
From whence the inspiration came,
he once more seeks the muse
and finds he is gone.