What Was I Thinking?

People have said, “I’d like to see inside your head” or “I don’t know how you come up with these things” when they see my art.  Some have said, “I wish I could be that creative.”  The reality is, as far as I’m concerned, that everyone can be.

In trying to explain about my thinking or creative process, I must say the first thing is I don’t censor an idea.  The second is that I constantly look for inspiration.

If something inspires me, I dwell on the thought, let it percolate, conceive of iterations, build upon the idea.  I imagine.  I have lots and lots of ideas for things I’ll probably never get around to, but the mere act of not stopping the creative process or throwing up a roadblock of “I already have too many things to do” allows the flow of ideas to keep coming.  Even if I never get around to the specific project, the idea may evolve into something that really does spark my motivation.  As much as possible, I try to record the ideas in a sketchbook.

The second part of not censoring has to do with how I could possibly accomplish the idea.  I don’t let how be a roadblock.  Figuring it out is where the creativity really comes into play.  Those things that aren’t easily done and take some ingenuity to resolve are usually the ones that receive “Wow!” reviews.

I get inspiration from any number of sources.  Sometimes it’s exploring a new technique, or the work of a fellow artist, or flipping through quilting magazines, or more often than not browsing a magazine featuring a completely different media, such as beading, polymer clay, mixed media scrapbooking, or jewelry.  In looking at other media, I may find a new form, color combination, or surface design technique that will launch me into the “how” phase.

As much as anything, coming up with creative ideas is a matter of training your thinking.  If something inspires you and you’re motivated to create, do it (or file the idea away), then think about how you could improve upon that.  Your own work can be a source of inspiration.  Don’t automatically rule anything out, don’t censor your creativity and imagination, be willing to explore and figure out the “how”…and before you know it, you’ll have people wondering about the creative world inside your head!

You see things; and you say, “Why?”  But I dream things

that never were and I say, “Why not?”

George Bernard Shaw

Here are a couple pieces done several years ago.  The first was inspired by the structure of China’s Bird’s Nest Stadium featured in the Beijing Olympics.  Inspiration can be found most anywhere!

  

The above was a “how” challenge – how to assembly seven distinct and separated layers…and also an exploration of surface design.