Friday, August 19, 2011

Inspiration or Intuition???

Today I am thinking about intuition versus inspiration. As artists we talk about the creative muse; the mystical flow of inspiration that strikes us with a creative spark and give us vision for our expression.

But this morning as I walked by the block that I started last week (I often put works in progress out somewhere I can view them everyday.) This particular one is a wood panel that has been primed with gesso and mounted with a gelatin monotype print with lovely greens and browns.

I have been waiting to be "inspired" with what to do next. It suddenly called out to me what it needed. Then I thought to myself; was that inspiration or intuition. I think I would prefer to think of it as intuition. I had prepared the block with another idea in mind but something told me it didn't "feel" right. So, I did what any good artist would do. I put it aside and waited to see what it needed.

Over the last few years I have been working hard to listen to my intuition. You know, that gut feeling, that sixth sense, that tells you if something is right or not. My birthday is today. Yeah 38! Last year I did some soul searching over the summer and knew there was some big change coming in my life. Instead of going out and making change happen like I had done in my past, I waited and listened for it. I waited for intuition to speak and show me what my next big adventure would be. Sure enough, it did and I never second guessed what it told me. I took a huge step and left a very good paying job with a great agency. But I knew it was my time to leave. I knew intuitively that there was something else for me to be doing.

When I look back over my life, intuition has never steered me wrong. The only "wrong paths" I have taken have been when I ignored intuition for some more authoritative voice or my fears saying; that's not practical, you should do this.

So this year my birthday resolution is to keep listening to my intuition and to wait for it to speak before plowing forward on things based on fear, authority, or practicality. Now I know, thanks to intuition, what that block needs and how to finish it.

What is your intuition whispering to you?

5 comments:

Elin said...

Happy birthday a little bit too late! We are the same age - I will be 38 in november :)

For me inspiration is the joy of painting (or whatever you do) but the result will not always be good art. That´s when intuition comes in.

I also put my paintings in my kitchen or in the living room where I can see them, and eventually I just know if it´s done, or if it needs something else - or if I should put it away and paint something else.

Sometimes it´s hard to explain to people why my paintings look the way they do: It just felt right!

(I came here from Kelly Rae Roberts class, and I really like your writing and your work.)

Michelle Turbide, an artist on a soul journey said...

Hi Elin, I viewed your blog the other day. I love your photography. I want to go back and take a look around at your art. I noticed you put the google translator button on one of your blogs. It seems to work pretty well.

Inspiration might kick it off for me but I think inspiration brings me through the process. It is hard to expalin why a piece wants something or when it is done. It just feels right, which I think means it is more about intution for me.

I have always wanted to go to sweden. My great grandmother is from Elskilstuna and I have always wanted to go there. Maybe some day we can meet up in person.

I hope you are enjoying the class. I think it has a lot of great information but it is hard to keep up with all the chatter and really connect to people.

Thanks for visiting and come back again!

Michelle

Elin said...

I do enjoy the class, but I don´t have time to read every comment. We are som many, I get everyone mixed up. I just looked through the bloglist and bookmarked the ones I found interesting. Yours was one of them.

A great grandmother from Sweden - what a coincidence! Of course you should come here some day!

Melanie Margaret said...

Hi, I found your blog from the flying lessons facebook page. I am from New England too (Cape Cod) Love the use of birds in your art, always my favorite!

Michelle Turbide, an artist on a soul journey said...

Melanie,

I love cape cod. spent a summer there in college.

I'm going to go check out your site.