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| At my machine this morning - I find it interesting how the color of the fabric is reflected in the metal of the machine |
Recently I heard a question asked:
How do you strike the balance of finding inspiration every day without getting lost in it?
I can identify with this! I think every creative can...getting lost in inspiration is probably the opposite of the stuckness of the "blank page".
For me, Pinterest is a wonderful organizational tool, but just how many tutorials on painting a triad tree in watercolor do I
really need? What
is needed is to get into the studio and put water and paint on paper and use just one tutorial to get started - any one of us learns more by
doing rather than just being a perpetual student. And actually, the feeling/need/idea to keep learning may just be a stall tactic to keep from risking or avoid failing. It will keep one from finding his/her "own voice" creatively. And who we truly are, who we were created to be, and the things God wants to express through us remain inside - unexpressed and ungifted to the world.
Since we also learn by doing, we are still being a student, but in a way that will ultimately allow us to move in the direction God is leading...and that is what we all want anyway!
I like the following ideas. I know these sorts of helps encourage me be more mindful of time passing (some adapted and expanded from
here):
1. "Create before you consume".
2. Don't confuse inspiration with getting things done.
3. Stack your inspiration stash...make a
stack of your creativity inspiration, then browse the stack
for a few minutes before bed, or during a time of rest during the day. Think about setting the timer
for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 20 minutes to avoid getting "stuck" in the inspiration mode.
Ideas for "stacks"*:
magazines
"how to" books
recipe books (doesn't everyone read cookbooks to relax?)
devotional books/Bible Studies (I get so much inspiration by reading other people's
insights - their words that create a picture)
the "stack" can even be integrated into the creative decor of the room in which you
choose to place it.
*how to "stack" digital products:
grab a URL of something you want to search out more and put it in a list of "Needs
further exploration" on Evernote, on a special Pinterest board, or even in an email
that you mail to yourself. You can also paste the URL in a document on your
desktop.
How is your inspirational stack looking? I know mine is a little more tamed now...
Now, is it back to the stack or the studio? {Smiling}
