Inspired, Part 1

I recently read Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being and it is such a bounty of useful information — for artists and non-artists alike — that I am going to be referring back to it over the next few blog posts. The book is different in that it is a collection of ideas that are already well known. I can’t say that any of the concepts were a surprise to me, yet, like he has proven throughout his music producing career, Rubin has such a command of guiding artists in the right direction that his takes follow this principle and force us to see things from a new angle.

This in itself stands as a mode of inspiration. And when it comes to inspiration, it’s important to not lose sight of the fact that inspiration is often fleeting — even non-existent. Sure, sometimes I am inspired. But a lot of times I’m not. Quite the opposite can be true: I’m tired, I’m down, I’m anxious. I know from my previous career as a trainer, most days there is zero inspiration. The game is showing up every day and putting in the work — inspired or not. That’s true for artists just as much as it is for the person intent on bettering his/herself. In fact, this is the very principle of another stellar book, Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art.

So when that rare wave of inspiration does arrive, one must be ready and willing to ride it. And in examining the common sources of inspiration, I often come back to three things: emotion/feelings, environment and the work of other artists.

Emotion seems to be a given. How many great works of art are the result of a broken heart? Or how many are the result of being in love? Or from despair? Recently, we lost our 14 year old dachshund. One day in the studio last week I had a complete meltdown where I sobbed uncontrollably for a good 15 minutes. Then, keenly aware that opportunity was present, I jumped into painting something on instinct, not having any idea where it was going. This felt so good! I left feeling better emotionally having accomplished worthwhile art, regardless of the outcome.

Feeling good is also the vibe I can get from certain environments that will lead to more inspired works. On Thursday, I spent the entire day at Busch Stadium in St. Louis to take in the Opening Day festivities. In fulfilling this childhood dream of mine, I left full of inspired ideas of what to paint moving forward. The ideas churning are so plentiful that I feel like they are just ready to burst out of me.

But perhaps nothing inspires me more than the works of other artists. Seeing what others are capable of almost always inspires me to do the same — more so than environmental or emotional inspirations combined. This concept is no more apparent than it is in the story Rubin tells of Brian Wilson, whose mind was blown while listening to the Beatles’ Rubber Soul album for the first time. Upon hearing it, “God Only Knows” suddenly came to Wilson, part of his groundbreaking Pet Sounds album. Later, upon hearing Pet Sounds, the Beatles themselves were inspired to make Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Isn’t that an awesome progression? That one groundbreaking work of art inspired another inspired another?

Next week, in Part Two of this theme, I will break down some of the art and artists who have inspired some of my favorite pieces. Meanwhile, is inspiration something you deal with on a daily basis? Or are you more in line with the “just show up and do the work” camp? Tell me in the comments!