Emotions and Inspiration

The Vyxen has given me a reason to blog today.

Let’s end with a question. When you find yourself most inspired, are you feeling something strongly? An emotional response to some stimulus in your life?

I don’t know about other artists out there, but I personally cannot create a damn thing without some kind of strong emotion coursing through my veins. I’ve seen artists who just pick up a canvas or their camera and just go. That baffles me, how can you create meaningful art without a thought or emotion driving you? I guess that’s part of the reason there is so much art out there that’s nothing but a pretty picture, it’s a shame, in my mind. There’s no point to art without thought, without emotion and without a purpose.

Latley, I’ve encountered many expressing their views on “What’s the point of art?” and I’ve pondered the same thing. Why should I keep creating and keep pressing that shutter, what’s the point? Why do I keep producing things that, in theory, have no purpose? Well for starters, it makes me happy. Even if it’s not my best work, after creating a journal page or taking a photo, I’m ecstatic and that’s rare for me. I feel elated when I complete a project, even when it’s kind of ‘eh’ quality. The joy I get from creating something is hard to match.

The other point – and the reason I think art is pointless without being created from a thought or emotion – is to get others to think. I’m a big advocate in the way of thought, I couldn’t live without it, without analyzing the world around me, a piece of art I see or a book I read. Without having cause to think and things that make me think, I never could have started my other blog.

So create with a concept, create with a purpose, don’t just slop paint on to the page. Granted sometimes it’s fun, but at the same time…when I sit and just throw paint down, it’s release my emotions onto the page so I don’t have to deal with them as much. To release my stress and my anger and my pain.

And now we’re back to the main point.

What do I feel when I am inspired? What emotions course through me that make me inspired?

I know a lot of people create best when they’re in a melancholy state, most of the time that doesn’t work for me. I’ve dealt with having clinical depression all of my life and when my mind switches to that state, I’m so unmotivated I couldn’t lift a pen or camera to save my life.

When I’m in a “blah” mood, I can’t create no matter how much my hands want to make something, nothing will come out.

My anger makes me want to punch a wall not push that shutter down.

So when do I create? It seems like not much is left.
I feel happy when I create but how do I get to that point?

Actually, my point to write and my point to make any kind of visual art is completely different.

I write well when I’m upset or angry, it spurs my thoughts and my emotions. I write well when I’m on a new path, a new discovery point in my life and new thoughts are jumbling around in my head. I don’t write so well when I’m happy.

Why?
Hmm…

I’m more of a…let the words flow writer. As a poet, that’s the most important thing really, not to force the words or it won’t work. I’ve tried to force things before and the thoughts and emotions behind the piece don’t make sense when it’s forced. And the images that I create in my poems do not lend themselves well to happy thoughts. Not that all, or most, of my work is dark and dreary. Quite the opposite really, but my mind doesn’t think poetically when I’m happy. Does that make sense? Probably not, but that’s the way it is.

As a visual artist…I need some emotion to create. Even if it’s feeling connected to nature and trying to express my joy of being within nature, it’s still an emotion. I revel in being able to express myself both with words and with images. It makes me who I am and often, I try to show that.

I love getting my veiwers and readers to think on a deeper level than the did before, I think that drives me more than anything. Expressing the thoughts and emotions I have with others and getting them to a new point in their thinking, and thus their growth in life is an amazing rush to me.

So when do I create….
all the time, my mind is always creating to be honest.