Where do you find inspiration and motivation to create art?

I am of two minds about artistic creation and inspiration and motivation.

I have really come to believe that if you want to be someone who creates art on a regular basis, especially if you aspire to be a professional, you have to show up on a daily basis and do the work. You have to do the work of creating art. And in the showing up and engaging in the process of making art you will find your motivation and inspiration flow into you. My thoughts and feelings on this topic have been shaped primarily by two thinkers, Steven Pressfield and Seth Godin. If you haven’t read any of their work I highly recommend seeking out their books and/or podcast interviews. They will help you feel like you need to create art.

There is also part of me that feels like artistic inspiration strikes you like lightening. That the desire and inspiration to create art derives from something more emotional or spiritual. Something metaphysical arises within us and draws so to start creating.

How does artistic creation work?

I don’t think that these two aspects are irreconcilable. How would you ever become interested in art if you never saw artwork that inspired you? Why would you want to create art of you did not see the work of another artist and were struck with a sense of awe?

The internal longings and feeling of need that drives us to create art comes from experiencing the art of others. But to convert that feeling and excitement for art into our own artistic creation we need to develop a practice. A routine that puts us squarely into a setting where we are ready to create. If you are not already holding the pen to paper, or having your fingers on the keyboard, or behind the lens, or looking at a canvas with brush in hand you will not create. Be present in a place that allows you to create.

I have been inspired by and learned from so many different artists over the years. They have al shaped the artist I have become. And they continue to do so to this day. And the simple act of being able to turn on my phone and see art any time is amazing and inspirational. But don’t get too sucked in scrolling and watching all the amazing art flow by. There must be time to put down the phone or other works of art and create our own art.

Photographers who inspire me

There have been a few photographers that have inspired me and whom I have learned from along my way that I want to mention. When I first began to think about creating art I really wanted to be a wildlife photographer. The photographer who inspired me most in this realm and who I learned most of what I know and think about wildlife photography was Moose Peterson. I read his books Moos Peterson’s Guide to Wildlife Photography and Captured. Reading these books helped me to understand how much knowledge and skill and planning and practice goes into creating art. It is not just feeling and emotion. The feelings and emotions drive us to want to create art, but to create that art takes time, patience, learning, and practice.

One of the people who have shaped how I think about photography as a whole has been the photographer David duChemnin. He has written many books, and it seems like is constantly putting out thoughtful content about photography on his blog and podcast as well. I have read David duChemin’s books like Vision Mongers and Photographically Speaking and others. His books and his writing on his blog are thoughtful and contemplative. Talking about how and why we create photographs. What are we trying to communicate with our art? How can we create better art? And generally just thinking deeper about the creative process. His work has really helped me to think more deeply and more creatively about art and why we make it. I highly recommend checking out his work.

There are a couple of other photographers whose work has really inspired me. Frans Lanting creates beautiful images of our world. His book Life: A Journey Through Time sits on my bookshelf. If you look up this book and his image of a lava flow doesn’t inspire you to check out more of his work I don’t know what will. The Photo Ark project by Joel Sartore is amazing. The effort to document animal species before they disappear by going extinct really tugs and my heartstrings.

Find what stokes your fire

Find what art sings to you. The art that moves you deep inside. Then set a practice to put you in position to create your own art. Mary the spiritual and the practical. That is how you create art.

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