Results tagged “doodle”

Originally uploaded by RGP

I am feeling some major Blogher envy tonight as I read all the twits and blogs of the attendees. I hope I can attend next year. For now I'm getting myself ready to watch the podcasts and maybe even take a rare trip into Second Life for some of those events.

Originally uploaded by RGP

Inspiration, to me, is motivation.  Some mornings I wake up inspired, ready to take on the day.  However, those days are rare and most of the time I find myself having to seek it out.

Inspiration is my personal fuel.  I grab my creative moments from other people's creative moments.  Its what makes my little world go 'round. So when I find something that works, I take note of it and use it whenever possible.

One of my main sources? Music. I am not a musician myself, though I do dabble in song while cleaning the kitchen or taking a shower (naturally) and all my life I have been surrounded by good music and musicians.  For crying out loud,  I was named after one. 

Words have always been a musical prompt for me.  If I chew on a word long enough (or sometimes instantly) a song I know starts to play in my head. I now consider this to be a technique.  I find said song and play it over and over until whatever it is my brain has planned, comes out.

As I mentioned previously, I was struggling with my drawing project. Inspiration was nowhere to be found and I was drawing the same thing over and over again. Then I found the 100 Things list and thought "Great! Some inspiration!" and for the first few days, that was all I needed.

Then I started to over think it.  It was when I got to "innocence". 

"Innocence? Nothing is innocent!" cried my overactive brain.  I realized I was just searching too hard. Begging my brain for something unique and coming up blank.

Quite literally as I thought at one point I would just scan a blank page.  How profound am I?

So now I really listen to the word.  I guess you could say I wait for it to sing to me.  This has completely changed my way of thinking for this project.  It wasn't until now that I realized all my favorite drawings were completely inspired by whatever I was listening to at the time. Music genuinely effects my every emotion and in turn,  my imagination opens up to a new level.

So how about you?  I would love to hear what really drives you to write that next blog, draw that next piece or even get up and cook dinner.  Anything can be inspired, right down to what you're wearing today.  So what did it for you?  Have you created any inspiring techniques?   I'd love to know!  Maybe your inspiration can become someone else's.

The picture above is #12 of the 100 Things project. The word is "Insanity" and System of a Down was the music that inspired it.  It may seem like I only listen to heavy music but I assure you that is not the case. My taste is extremely eclectic and no genre is missing from my ipod. Seriously, I even have some yodeling.

Originally uploaded by RGP

I have the blahs.

Drawing. Blah.

Writing. Blah.

Photography. Blah.

Staring. Blah.

Shower. Blah.

Eating. Blah.

Reading. Blah.

Television. OhEmGee, Burn Notice started it's new season! I love you Bruce Campbell! Oh and BIG BROTHER STARTS SUNDAY!! Did you see the new house is up all over the interwebs for viewing? Did you know there's a 76 year old man in the house this season? I did, I did! Oh and they're replaying all of Dexter until the new season starts. And and and....

Priorities. Blah.

All week I've been angry with myself for not posting and all week I've been trying to figure out why. I worry about crossing too many boundaries and becoming confusing to the "reader". That's you by the way.  Then I remember that's kinda the whole point of this space.  I AM confusing. I've never been easy to figure out, especially to myself.  One week my obsession is with photography, the next it's with drawing and then the next it's with just watching t.v.  That's how I roll and that's why it's called Arts and Dafts.

The funniest part about it?  One of my biggest pet peeves on earth is when I'm working and the objective is clear but somebody (usually a hard headed man, sorry fellas) has to "talk it out." Often I find myself wasting time, standing around and listening to someone go on and on and on about which rope we should use and how to tie the knot, etc when really, you just gotta get up there and do it.

Now I need to apply the rule to myself. Just sit down and do it.  I'm afraid my addiction to twitter has kept me from posting some stuff that could be posted so I'm going to fix that too. If I can twit it, I can blog it. Right?

Originally uploaded by RGP

So it's no mystery, I have been in a sort of lull lately. It's not one of those lulls where I drop everything and say screw it, no no. It's more one of those "what is the next effing step?!!?" lulls.

Okay, "lull" just lost it's meaning.

I've reached a sort of cross roads. I need to dive head first into my writing, drawing, photography, etc and really commit to this whole project or consider my options with a full time job...or just keep doing what I'm doing.

What's my goal? To be creative full time. This is for sure. What's holding me back? The non-creative side of my brain. The side that says "Yes, but how will you pay the bills sweetie?". I hate that side. I have been slowly poisoning it with positive thoughts and pencil drawings, but the process is slow and excruciating. Also, I'm pretty sure anyone with a strong creative side knows that pushing positive thoughts on yourself is like trying to convince a parent that heroin is good for their baby.

I think that bizarre comparison just came from my "creative" side.

I am particularly lucky. After next week I will have almost 2 entire months to throw myself into my craft, whatever that is, full time. I have saved enough for the rent, now I just hope I saved just enough sanity (or is it insanity?) to actually create and come up with some good ideas.

Here's hoping!

Originally uploaded by RGP

Alright, no more excuses! I finally have my life back, rehearsals are over and my schedule is completely back to normal. So what's with my lack of motivation? Why can I still not seem to pull my head outta my butt and get to typin'?

I guess I'm still just settling in. I don't ever want to be away from my blog, photos and drawings for this long again. I feel like I made a lot of progress and then just threw it all out the window in a month. I'm not ready for ANOTHER clean slate, I was just starting to draw on my new one.

Anyhow, hopefully this will mark the last of my so-busy-with-work excuse posts. Time to kick it back into high gear!