healing gracie

I am finally getting around to my photography and healing posts again. Sorry...life has been hectic lately...really hectic. I can honestly say that I haven't been slacking...not on purpose anyway (though some of you may think that). No, I really just have not had the time. I have been juggling two jobs (one of which is new), and add to that my photography...yep, I've had a full load.

Ha, that works as an excuse. I will just blame my lack of photography posts on the fact that I've actually been out there doing/working on photography. Yep, that sounds good to me.

Whew...now that I've got that off my chest, we are going to get to the real topic of today's post: Inspiration.

"I begin with an idea, and then it becomes something else."  ~Pablo Picasso (artist, ceramist, painter, printmaker, sculptor)

What is inspiration? To me, inspiration is the start of creativity. It is the spark that eventually ignites and flames into life. Inspiration is the start of an idea or concept. It is found at the beginning, whether you are writing poetry, painting, designing a building...whatever. Inspiration is always there. And it has no limits.

Anything can be used for inspiration. It can be found anywhere, at anytime. It's all around...the trick is, learning how to recognize it and be open to it. Inspiration requires being in touch with your senses, trusting them, and learning from them. It means really taking in what is going on around you, looking at the details...the smaller parts rather than just the big picture.

Inspiration comes from experience...and it can be good and bad experiences. Inspiration comes from experiencing life, interacting with what is going on around you, and taking in as much as you possibly can. Along with drawing from the outside environment, it is also helpful to look inside oneself. It's amazing how you find out how much you have to offer.

Now that I've rambled about my views on inspiration, I am going to talk briefly (hopefully it will be briefly) on inspiration for me. Where do I find inspiration? Really, almost anywhere. However, I do have some things that I turn to more than others for inspiration. As I mentioned before, the senses are a big part of inspiration. I tend to rely more on the visual and auditory senses when it comes to gaining inspiration for photography. Now, the visual is kind of a given because photography is primarily visual. But it's more than just seeing something and trying to recreate it. What inspires me most visually is color. I love seeing how colors interact with each other and the emotions it can evoke. Also, light and how it places itself. Light is pretty intriguing to me...I can't really explain why.

Next comes the auditory, or hearing. This is where music comes in. I find a lot of inspiration from music (mostly in writing), but it's pretty important in my photography as well. I also love being in nature and hearing the sound of the wind, or water flowing in a stream, or the booming of thunder in a lighting storm. Again, I am at a loss to explain the "how" it is inspiring to me. It really comes so naturally...it's really so second-nature that I am having a hard time breaking it down. Hmmm....

How do I "gather" inspiration? I keep a collection of sorts...a very disorganized collection at the moment. I will keep pictures that have effective lighting, or posters/brochures that have a cool color scheme. I will write down quotes or sayings...take pictures of "potential" photo sights. I go for walks or drives. I will visit people. I read articles about photography techniques, or watch online tutorials. I pay attention to the small and simple things. I take a break from life, even if just for ten minutes, just to relax and be in the present moment. I experiment and not be afraid to try something new.

Without inspiration, my photography would not exist...