Waiting for Inspiration? Don't.

If you're waiting around for your muse it can be a long time before she finally shows up. When it comes to inspiration you definitely need to meet it half way.

Chuck Close once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work." And, I believe this is a pretty accurate statement. If, as an artist, you sit around waiting for inspiration to strike you'll certainly never make a living.

This doesn't mean that professional artists or art students never get inspired though. I believe that by cultivating a variety of interests you, as an artist, are able to tap into an endless stream of inspirational possibilities.

What's great about living in the digital age is that there are now countless ways to do this! My friends who work in graphic design, photography and illustration LOVE Tumblr. Many of them sell prints through Society6. Browsing Etsy is a great way for those of us interested in production lines to check out what else is being sold out there and check our price points.

My addiction is Pinterest (Clink link to see my page). I find the most incredible contemporary craft images on that site. I love revisiting my boards for motivation. And not just my jewelry boards because I believe all of my interests feed my design choices.

Sample of my Jewelry board right now. 

Sample of my Gardening board. 

Sample of my Hooping board. As a jeweler I find myself sitting still for long periods of time. Hooping gets my energy up and gets my body moving! The wonderful ladies in these photos inspire me to stay motivated. 

If you're not sure where to start on Pinterest feel free to follow me or my Mother. She has 877 more followers than I do (1,049 in total) and has some truly exceptional boards.

The point of using tools like these to feed into your visual inspiration is that you end up internalizing the design elements you respond to and processing them through your own lens. I'm always looking at other artists work but I also allow the work I've already made to inform my next piece. Once you find a path you're interested in you can follow it to see where it takes you. But, don't be afraid of detours. Stay curious and remember to explore!

Speaking of detours, do you Instagram? I started my account today so feel free to check me out here. Add me, I follow back.

This is all I have right now. I was told the internet likes cats.