Inspiration
“The inspiration you seek is already within you. Be silent and listen.”
-Rumi, Sufi mystic and poet, 13th Century, born in modern-day Afghanistan
You finally set aside time for your art journaling. But your mind goes blank. What are you going to create? You ask yourself.
Do you panic?
Or, do you wait for inspiration to greet you?
Do you get quiet…and listen to the rhythmic beat of your heart and the sounds of the white noise that surround you? Do you note the sensation of your butt in the chair and the feel of your feet planted on the floor?
“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”
Inspiration, according to the dictionary, is something that influences opinion or actions.
But where do you find inspiration?
Maybe you let the emotions and events of the day influence you.
The other day, you shut the door to leave your home and it was raining. Did you pause to breathe in the smell of the damp earth and the fresh air?
Maybe someone cut you off on the way to work. Did you push down the urge to yell out a harsh word or two or three?
Did you close your eyes and swoon at the blend of flavours when you savored a favorite meal?
Or, did you take time to marvel at the bright, velvety softness of the flower petals in the garden?
Inspiration is everywhere. It only requires your attention.
“To vary your inspiration, consider varying your inputs. Turn the sound off to watch a film, listen to the same song on repeat, read only the first word of each sentence in a short story, arrange stones by size or color, learn to lucid dream. Break habits. Look for differences. Notice connections.”
- Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Think about how another person or an animal or a character in a film or book experience nature; trees; sunshine; water; space; Earth; beauty; love; peace and quiet.
Think about the hard times and the inspiring words that helped you push through and persevere.
Pick a colour you like or don’t like. How can that inspire you?
Open a dictionary. Find a word. Use that.
Look at paintings at an art gallery or on the Internet.
Listen to music. What feelings does the music stir in you? Use that.
Dial down the clang and clamor of everyday life to make art. Ask yourself, what do I want to say? What do you wish people were talking about?
Art journaling is celebrating joy; feeling moved; expressing sadness; anger and even rage and honouring it in the pages of your journal.
It’s a safe space for you to process and emote. It’s about the little things. The big things and the in-between things that make a life.
So, what are you going to create in your art journal today?
Looking for more inspiration?
Watch: Journal play
