Mapping Inspiration to Creation

I'm curious about inspiration.

In particular, how does inspiration connect to the creative process? Where does it come from? How does it translate to motivation and then transform to creation? Why do some people claim to have it and others claim to lack it?

I decided the best way to figure it out is to map out my own creative process - starting at inspiration and ending at the creation of a piece of art. We only have our own experience of life so I'll do my best to trace the steps in my own journey. Then, perhaps, someone reading blog this will share their own experience.

I completed two works of art today. I started yesterday, on a Saturday afternoon after lunch. I had gone to hot yoga in the morning after sleeping in, reading a magazine that survived the "great purge" (byeeee magazinges) three years ago, and sipping coffee. I feel like that's when the seeds of inspiration started growing. I can't recall anything in particular about the magazine articles, ads or pictures but in looking back, it was definitely a primer.

In yoga, the beautiful instructor leads a guided meditation at the end of every session and often talks about noticing the color behind your eyelids. I tend to see the same colors, tealy blues mostly. I, also, have seen what looks like tree branches for the past several meditations.

This time in particular, I got a little extra joy juice when another image surged my mind. I saw I dark themed whimsical collection that was similar to one that's already completed (see it at https://www.heatherklug.com/galleryoriginalart called Whimsical Flower Girl). In that instant, I knew I wanted to use roughly the same process to create the overall look but that it would be darker in general and have tealy blue elements and trees - emphasis on the colors and branches.

And, that's how it works.

I picked out two canvas panels and began. I reminded myself that I was only playing and it didn't matter if it didn't turn out. I'd covered paintings that didn't make the cut before and could do the same again. I discovered some new techniques and truly delighted - loved using watercolors on bleeding art tissue paper and how the colors spread in random jagged lines.

I finished the details of the scenes with a copic multiliner instead of a water soluble pencil this time but the overall feel is very similar to the original whimsical collection.

I can certainly see the thread of inspiration that lead to their creation but HOW it happened is still a mystery. I have plenty of ideas throughout the day, or get random pings of inspiration that never make it to the canvas, so I'm not quite sure why it happened this weekend.

What about you? Can you connect the dots of your creative process?

Sent with a smile,

Heather