Inspiration can come from many different parts of your life. The external world, Internal heart and mind, or a combination of the two are very powerful voices that can speak to your focus. Where does your Authentic Voice show up for you? Give the following strategies a try and see where you find the most joy.

Creatives often surround themselves with the things that speak to them artistically. Look around your home, what items have you surrounded yourself with that makes you sing. Use the camera on your phone to document those items. What do they have in common? How do they relate to you personally? What are these objects about? Make a list or write about your findings. How can you incorporate your findings into a creative work? If you are stuck for inspiration here are five places to look for creative inspiration in your own home.

The idea of infinite possibilities is exactly what makes many artists stop before they have ever had a chance to even start. It can be overwhelming to come up with an idea or decide what materials to use. If the idea of infinite possibilities doesn’t get your heart racing, it might be the phrase “Just be creative”. Setting your self up with limitations is a great way to begin thinking about creativity and to get you over the hurdle of where to begin. Putting a limitation on your work sets up a problem that will have to be solved and narrow your focus. When you begin to question the possibilities of what you have, what you want, and what you know, you will start to see new ways of creating. Here are 10 limitations you can impose on yourself as an artist. These are specifically designed to help you open up to new possibilities in your creative endeavors. Many of the ideas are geared toward visual artists, but you can definitely find applications for many other mediums.

Figuring it out is what artists do. Just start with “what if” and go from there. You might feel like you are drowning at first, but we all eventually learn the doggy paddle. I don’t exactly know where the idea for fluidity came from as a prompt this week, but for some reason it was stuck in my mind. At first I thought of juxtaposing the idea of fluidity and viscosity. Makes sense as a painter, but fixed just made me think further on the subject. We as human beings can be fixed in our practice, our thinking, our place, and routines. By remaining fixed we lose out on progress, openness to the world in which we exist, and the endless possibilities of creativity.

Most creative work begins with a dictionary filled with words, a stash of materials, a mix of musical notes, and a pile of emotions. Somehow all of it has to come together to make something that has never existed before. That can be scary because it has to come from you; therefore you will have to show the world who you are. But, showing up is half the battle when it comes to creative work. If you can show up and just put a mark on a page then maybe you can move forward and make another.

A year or so ago, I joined a week-long sketchbook challenge where each day was assigned a different color. What an incredibly easy prompt. The challenge got me digging into some of my collage papers that I’d stored away. New, unused materials came out to play. I started looking around my home, through my photographs, and within nature. After the week was over, I added brown and black to my work because I wanted to keep going. It was a fun, simple exercise that got me excited to work.

After gathering ideas from as many sources as possible and breaking down your idea into multiple parts, now it is time to build the idea to its full potential. Build your idea into something that is meaningful to you. You are all that matters when it comes to your artmaking. If you build something that is authentic and meaningful to you, others will follow. Your creative endeavor will connect with someone because someone will feel the same way. To neglect your ideas is to deprive the world of your art.

After gathering ideas from as many sources as possible and breaking down your idea into multiple parts, now it is time to build the idea to its full potential. Build your idea into something that is meaningful to you. You are all that matters when it comes to your artmaking. If you build something that is authentic and meaningful to you, others will follow. Your creative endeavor will connect with someone because someone will feel the same way. To neglect your ideas is to deprive the world of your art.

In my last blog, I talked about gathering ideas from as many sources as possible. The idea is to go deeper into the focus of your creative endeavor. It would be impossible to share all of my inspiration for my newest series, but I can share a few key ideas that I deconstructed from my lists and how I am using that to create unity.

For years I have allowed decay to creep into my life. That may be a little dramatic, but I have put my personal art to the side for so long that I feel like I am starting at the beginning again. The beauty of starting at the beginning, is that I now know, I can only grow up and forward. That decay has created a rich soil of excitement and motivation that will nurture my visual voice.

After laying dormant for so many years, I had to start sending out shoots to find the well that would restore my creative spirit. If you read my article in the New York State Art Teachers Association Winter Newsletter, you would already know that I found a “circle of artists”. Not only were the members of my circle art educators and artists, they were friends who I highly regarded as creatives. They were the seed that helped grow my confidence and desire to keep germinating my skills.

For years I have allowed decay to creep into my life. That may be a little dramatic, but I have put my personal art to the side for so long that I feel like I am starting at the beginning again. The beauty of starting at the beginning, is that I now know, I can only grow up and forward. That decay has created a rich soil of excitement and motivation that will nurture my visual voice.