I've been reading alot about the creative process lately, and thinking about the idea of a creative muse. Your muse could be music, a studio routine, dreams, reading, talking with other artists, or maybe you have an honest to goodness creative muse that visits you.
I would love to hear your ideas on your creative muse....just hum a few bars of the old Beatles song, "Something in the Way She Muse" (sorry, couldn't resist).
My creative muse often visits me in a list. I like to take a subject like say.......Oh, quantum physics...and then write down all the phrases I can think of that go with the subject, for instance:
String Theory (did that one)
Parallel Universes
Black Hole
M Theory
Theory of Everything
Quarks
Energy
Mass
Equations
Event Horizon
From there I start to visualize how I could set up a still life (since I mostly do still life), that might communicate some humor or a twist on one of the phrases. (I have a brand new Mr. Potato Head that I am still trying to figure out how to use in one of the above phrases.)
Try using the technique above if your muse is ignoring you. If you want to play, post your overall subject in a post, and then a few phrases that are associated. Then give one good idea for a new painting you might create.
I'll be out my studio from tomorrow until next Tuesday. I'm off to Sacramento for the spring meeting of the Colored Pencil Society of America Board. It will be very productive and lots of fun. I feel like I GET much more than I GIVE by being the National Membership Director for CPSA. Hopefully, I have some pics of Sacramento to share (I've never been there).
8 comments:
Cindy, I find this topic very interesting and I'm struggling with it. I did post about the 'creative process' and will revisit it again soon.
Hope you are having fun at the meeting!
Interesting.
I like the "String theory" in the list. I had actually thought of it and kind of scribbled ideas on a sketchbook about string theory turned painting about a month or so ago.
The creative process for me....usually starts and ends with random things I see every day. I'm slowly getting better at SEEING as an artist, seeing hues that people otherwise do not notice... like the purples, yellows and blues in light and shadows on snow that before I would only see as "grey" and "white."
art is slowly taking up all of my mind, haha, so it's quite the journey. I usually just doodle whatever ideas I get to come back to them later. they usually come from songs, from random objects in the house where i see nice combinations of color and contrast (my mind is always in rainbow-mode, it's more about color to me than a lot of things..lol)
I wish I could join the CPSA!! maybe when i have money/get better, haha. hope you have fun!
Thanks, Cindy for the Muse tip! My Muse is currently on vacation somewhere. I'll try to entice her to come back home.
I would like to link this tip to my blog as a reminder.
Hi Beth, We did have a great time at the meeting. Sacramento was windy, rainy and cold until the last day!
Thanks for the link back to my posting on the Creative Muse.
Hi Jay, My creative process works alot like yours.....I feel like I have a whole new set of eyes since I became an artist.
Just so you know, CPSA is open to all artists over the age of 18, all skill levels. You don't have to be or do anything other than love CPSA. The conventions are great fun, this year in Seattle, next summer in Atlanta.
Hi Mary, Thanks so much for stopping in and thanks for the link on your blog! I do appreciate it.
Tell that Muse to come on home!
My creative muse often comes from music, movies, travels, landscapes , a particular architecture or even stock phrases.
Thank you for this interesting topic, Cindy !
I wish you a good stay in Sacramento !
Cindy - good subject and sound comment!
I'm not quite sure how I missed this one - but I'd like to link to it for next week's 'who's made a mark this week?'
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