This is a prompt to encourage you to think about where inspiration comes from.
One idea that I have on this subject is that inspiration can only come from the downtime cycle, when we take our foot off the gas. This is the stroll through the park or art gallery when we can get outside to take it in.
This is not entirely true though, because sometimes simply taking action starts the process of unravelling new ideas.
When you pick up the pen or the paintbrush even when you didn’t feel like it, you can start the inspiration process that way.
I've gotten good progress with timed writing, as long as I force my fingers to keep tapping no matter what comes out. Natalie Goldberg has inspired me to timed writing, and she draws a connection to writing as a physical act--that's part of the "keep moving" rule. I'm often pleased with a sentence or two after priming the pumop.
Fantastic, I came to it from Julia Cameron. I use an app called Flowstate on my iPad with a keyboard connected. It works the best for me even though Julia is all about pen and paper. I will be interested to read Natalie’s take on this (the book title is familiar to me).
It's funny; I am a visual artist, but I don't think in images. Sometimes, an image will come to me, and I will run to the studio to get the idea down, but that is very rare. Usually, I 'get' images by making them. When I start painting, I only know what will happen once I start making marks. I often feel this a 'bad' way to work, like I should be planning and working from a plan. However, the 'controlled' or pre-planned works are also a slog to complete and tend to be missing a certain je ne sais quoi.
Yes, noodling! I definitely think of what I make as sketches, especially when the images just KEEP COMING. But, and maybe you can relate, as you work longer on developing your unique aesthetic, the works in themselves are complete. For example, my natural and intuitive style is comprehensive in itself. Usually, if I go back to "finish" the piece, to make it more coherent as you've suggested, I ruin it. I loathe the look of labour in creativity.
I've gotten good progress with timed writing, as long as I force my fingers to keep tapping no matter what comes out. Natalie Goldberg has inspired me to timed writing, and she draws a connection to writing as a physical act--that's part of the "keep moving" rule. I'm often pleased with a sentence or two after priming the pumop.
Fantastic, I came to it from Julia Cameron. I use an app called Flowstate on my iPad with a keyboard connected. It works the best for me even though Julia is all about pen and paper. I will be interested to read Natalie’s take on this (the book title is familiar to me).
It's funny; I am a visual artist, but I don't think in images. Sometimes, an image will come to me, and I will run to the studio to get the idea down, but that is very rare. Usually, I 'get' images by making them. When I start painting, I only know what will happen once I start making marks. I often feel this a 'bad' way to work, like I should be planning and working from a plan. However, the 'controlled' or pre-planned works are also a slog to complete and tend to be missing a certain je ne sais quoi.
yep this is difficult with music too because I learned how to record music by making loops which is basically noodling.
then i would go into phases where I would say that the loops 'must' be arranged into something coherent or that i can't use them at all.
it seems to not work well in the same way that you describe.
Yes, noodling! I definitely think of what I make as sketches, especially when the images just KEEP COMING. But, and maybe you can relate, as you work longer on developing your unique aesthetic, the works in themselves are complete. For example, my natural and intuitive style is comprehensive in itself. Usually, if I go back to "finish" the piece, to make it more coherent as you've suggested, I ruin it. I loathe the look of labour in creativity.