Ever since COVID-19 hit in March, I have been desperately trying to find inspiration to make art of all kinds. Unfortunately, until the last month or so, I found none. My journals remained unfilled, my paper remained blank, and my art nook simply housed all of my art supplies. I could not drag art from my body, not to mention my soul. Then, I remembered that inspiration happens at the most unexpected times.
Inspiration comes from the Latin word inspiro which simply means "to breathe in." So what does breathing have to do with inspiration? I like to think that the creative spark from which we were made allows us to breathe in experiences, ideas, images, etc. that in turn allows us to turn out creative works. What do you breathe in daily that moves or motivates you? Think of the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the sight of the first rays of light in the morning, or the sound of a weeping violin on the radio. Although every living being has the ability to "breathe," only humans are given the ability to inspire and seek inspiration.
One of the creative websites which I follow has recently rebranded itself. The new www.Craftsy.com has a plethora of classes, ideas, and printables that will bring inspiration to even the bleakest of moments. Since they are rebranding themselves, Craftsy is offering a year of Premium Membership to all subscribers for $2.49. What a steal! Simply click on the price to be taken to the membership deal. I was really reticent to join, then I saw that I had access to 1500+ online classes in just about any subject you can imagine. Today, I even spent 90 minutes on a Hand Lettering class and didn't even finish it! That will be my project for tomorrow. I am not paid to promote Craftsy, but I am writing about it to encourage you to seek out inspiration...especially when little seems present. You can find inspiration of Pinterest, Flickr, blogs, and even shopping in craft stores. Many people believe that true inspiration hits when least expected (in the shower for me), but that is simply not true. When you are open to the idea of searching for inspiration then you are more likely to find it.
This leads me to my Word of the Year for 2021. I chose the word "Inspire" to motivate me to find inspiration in even the darkest of times and to allow it to flow forth unencumbered. The image that comes to my mind of the "spark of creativity" is The Creation of Adam by Michaelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. It is breath-taking in person! However, it is also a point of "inspiration", not only for Adam, but for all those who view this masterpiece.
I encourage each of you to find your own source of inspiration daily, and use it to bring forth a world of creativity all your own!
~ Melissa
