Where do you go to find new ideas or gather inspiration? How can you expand to bring together information from even more sources?

Gather and/or Disperse

“ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” -John Cage

I love the word “Gather” - to bring together. Something that we may need now more than ever. Gathering is part of the human experience and has allowed us to survive, from gathering together to hunt, forage for food, or create warmth. We gather to share stories from generation to generation, share knowledge through education, form bonds, and celebrate through ceremony and rituals. We can also gather items in our hands, containers, and create collections in our homes. We gather memories, experiences, and feelings.

We may have become “dispersed” from the idea of “gathering”, scattered from family and friends for instance.  Could both of these ideas serve an important purpose in life, creativity, and art making?

Where do you gather new ideas or find your inspiration for your work?

We are flooded with information on a daily basis from a multitude of sources. To sift through the mirage it’s important to curate information and at the same time remain open to unexpected possibilities. Be a collector and cast a wide net to find new creative ideas and inspiration.

Opposing Ideas.

If you read my newsletter I always offer two opposing ideas as a prompt for starting creative work.  If you don’t have an idea of what to make, start with a list of everything you love and then immediately make a list of everything that you strongly dislike.  What do you want your project to be?  What don’t you want your project to be?  The opposing ideas can really narrow down a focus.

As a starting point, pick one item from your list or two opposites. This will be your focus.

It is time to start gathering.

Write down everything you remember about your experience with your focus.

Write down what you can observe about your focus.

Read about your focus and make a list of the facts.

Branch out in unexpected directions.

Find a photo that you love and that’s completely unrelated to your focus. Break the photo down into parts.  What specifically do you love about the photo (color, shapes, lines, feelings, patterns…)

Create a collection of artwork by other artists who have worked with the same subject or idea.  What do you specifically love or dislike about what the artists have done?  Make a list and then put the artwork away.  You are not looking to copy, just to notice specifics.

Make a connection with similar and dissimilar things.  Start with one word then think of another that relates to it; continue the process. (Robin, red, apple, fruit, worm, etc.)

Find a detail within the focus itself or within something else entirely.  How could this detail be repeated or combined to make something new and unique?

Color is a great resource.  Does the object of your focus have to stay true to its color?  Take a look in your closet.  What color really sings for you?  What is the opposite color?

Use your feelings for inspiration.  What do you want your focus to feel like?  Try creating a mood board in Pinterest.  Collect and create objects from your surroundings that give you the same feeling.  Examine the qualities that make you feel that way.  Make another list.

Create a sense of place and give your focus a place to live, either real, or imaginary.  Is the place near or far?

Look to other cultures.  Where have you traveled or dreamt of traveling?  How have other cultures represented similar ideas?

Look to other fields of study.  What world does your idea live in - the sciences, history, archeology, music, dance, or multiple fields of study? 

Gather it all together

How many possibilities for a creative direction have you discovered?  Do you feel more knowledgeable about your focus or have a deeper appreciation for what you’ve chosen?  Does the idea feel more personal and meaningful?  This is just the beginning.  

Now imagine bringing all of this to the actual art that you’ll make.  Could the work become a series or a larger than life endeavor?  This is the beauty of spreading out and dispersing little seeds in multiple directions, gathering inspiration, and distilling it into a creative endeavor.  Have fun!

“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.”-Alice Waters

I would love to know how you begin gathering ideas for your creative projects? Please comment below.

Thank you for being part of my journey.