Sunday, February 25, 2007

Inspiration



“In order to make art we must be willing to labor…willing to reach inside and draw forth what we find there. On an inner plane, we are all connected to a larger whole. This is what is meant by inspiration, this connection to something greater than ourselves.”

Julia Cameron, Finding Water

I say Amen. Here is my plight. Often (very often actually), my mind begins to ignite, ideas are flowing fast and furious, I barely have time to find a piece of paper to quickly sketch out my ideas before another one tumbles out of my head. I’m very excited, almost hyperventilating to the point of passing out, sometimes at this very instant, the axis of the universe shifts and my favorite jazz song will suddenly ooze out of the radio, a song that takes you to another place (chocolate may even be nearby with the promise of cold milk to accompany it), things are just so good…and that’s when it happens. I become paralyzed. I do not want to leave the coziness of my bedroom (where all of my favorite things live) and go to my studio (the room that took me 25 years to get) and bring my wonderful ideas to fruition. Is this a diagnosable condition? Perhaps IDD- Inspiration Deficit Disorder? What is the matter with me?

“We must be willing to labor.”

Yes. Once again I say, amen. We must labor. I must labor. I attack the stairwell, enter my terra cotta colored studio and close the door. I’m in baby! I sit at my table and peruse the hundreds of beads, tools, and silver before me. I rush back downstairs to collect my sketches (because I always forget something) and before long my hands are doing something. The labor begins, it is joyous and the best part is that in a moment unbeknownst to myself, I cross over into inspiration, the zone where God and I collaborate, and I must say that we make such beautiful music together.






This is a "liberated" (no pattern, just sew patches of material together to make a design) quilt I made many years ago. It has served as an inspiration for many things.




















6 comments:

The Dream said...

A wonderful way of describing exactly the feeling behind those overpowering moments of inspiration. Love your work!

June said...

Oh thank-you so much. Those moments are often the best part of my day! I love reading your blog as well.

Elizabeth said...

Talented! You describe it exactly...

Sandra Eileen - Jewelry Artist said...

Bless you dear woman, you have given me words for what has been going on in my mind, heart, soul

I had been writing a novel, and suffered many days of IDD and have set it aside due to great volumes of criticism, mostly from my own WW and now focus entirely on my jewelry, well not entirely

I hope you can get these comments, in spite of the fact that I am reading your original post at such a late date

Sandra

Gel said...

Hi June,
The other day when I stopped in, your blog didn't show. I'm glad it's still here!
I'm reading old posts, because I found your blog through F.Water a few weeks ago.
Your jewelry is fab! It's inspiring to find another jewelry artist.
I love the background color on your blog, site, too.
Your humor brings a smile to my face. "IDD!" :)Love the description of "your mind begins to ignite." Yes, it describes how our ideas burning within us, "catch on fire!"

Hope you're doing well.
I thought of you when I designed and made a necklace earlier this morning. (I should have been asleep but it's like catching the idea on paper. I design jewelry from my head...)Paintings are a combination.
When you visit, I showed a photo of some newer jewelry I designed for a 1920's arts fundraiser event, where I went as a flapper. My head is cut off on purpose. My daughter took the photo so be sure to click on it to enlarge it. I should have taken my own photo of the jewelry but time is finite! (i'd never get any blog posts up, if I wainted until trying to be more perfect. Waste of energy)
Happy Spring!

June said...

Hi Gel
I am doing much better. I know I have not been posting lately, but I think I am back in the swing of things. Thanks for the lovely compliments, I am beaming!