Filling the Creative Well

I mentioned that I spent two days at WonderCon last week. What I didn't mention was how much it helped to fill my inspiration well. 

There's something to be said about being in a roomful of creativity, surrounded by lines, color and texture. To be visually stimulated by an overflowing abundance of ideas but also to be around people who understand how and why you feel about a specific medium is just a creative kick in the pants. 

I went home inspired and eager to work. I am excited about pulling older books and dvds off of my shelves and dive in for some mental stimulation. Seeing David Mack again and watching him draw in my sketchbook made me want to revisit his Kabuki and Reflections series along with the DVD of his process that I have hiding on a shelf somewhere.

You don't need a trip to a convention to be inspired. What about going for a walk with your camera? Or watching a random film (and I mean watching, being fully engaged and not multi-tasking.) Or listening to a new piece of music and creating art from how it makes you feel. 

One of the things that my husband set up years ago was email reminders of his favorite creators' birthdays (film directors, writers, etc...) Today is Vincent Van Gogh's birthday. Just knowing that has me thinking of Van Gogh, his life, his colors, his subject matter and his diaries. I think of his words, "It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”and I am inspired.

There is always so much to be inspired by. We just need to open our eyes and pay attention to what fills our needs and piques our interest as artists and humans. I surround my bed with books that I can randomly flip through and swap out as needed. I watch foreign films eager for ideas and thoughts that can become journal prompts. I walk through Anthropologie looking for color combinations I hadn't previously thought of. I listen to podcasts eager to hear another artist's thought process. I am open. I am receptive. I am always exploring both inside and out. I want to the well to be spilling over. 

What fills your well?