Finding the Flow of Inspiration, Exploration and Practice

As I continue my creative journey and practice, I have recognized the natural flow and rhythm I have when creating; moving from the spaces of inspiration, exploration, and practice. There is a distinctiveness of each and how it flows in and out with respect to the other.  

Inspiration  

For me, it all starts from inspiration. I move when inspiration strikes. I’ll be minding my own business, living my day-to-day, and then all of a sudden, bam, it hits me. The catalyst is everything from everyday living, to moments of prayer and meditation, listening to music, going for a walk, listening to a podcast, spending time with friends, or working on another piece. I sit with it, take notes, and decide if I will table it for another time or move forward with it. There’s discernment and clarity present in this space because for me it’s important to know whether it’s a yes right now or yes but not right now. When I table an idea, it allows time and space for compounding inspiration (see what I did there? Like compound interest).   

Exploration 

Whose Frame Is It? | 2021 | Cardboard, Acrylic Paint

Exploration – Expanded

Earlier in my creative practice, this is where I would stop. I’ve always trusted my instincts when it comes to knowing when a work is finished, when to not overwork it, and when to step away from the work to give myself time and space to reflect on what it needs. While listening to the StudioNoize podcast by Jamal Barber, in this particular episode, artist, Larry “Poncho Brown” was sharing his experience of reviewing young artists’ work, “the first thing you do to be a successful artist is to do art…, you know you need to draw more, you need to paint more…Most artists aren’t doing art anymore…Every piece you do, you grow… what job do you know where someone lives off of a project from 3-4 years ago?” This prompted me to expand and go further in my exploration process.

Once the initial work is actualized, I recreate the work while introducing new elements: patterns, colors, weight, adjacent or complimentary mediums, etc. While in this space more inspiration comes through iterations. What reinforced this new layer of depth within this phase was a greater conversation I’ve come across and participated in within the Black creative community about what it means to be ready and have work available to be shared, bought, critiqued, etc. Many claim the title of artist, creative, designer, and more and yet do not have a comprehensive body of work to share that communicates who we are or actually understand what our process and practice are and how to communicate that or be able to speak about our work in a way that is digestible and accessible. 

Practice   

This is where exploration and practice fold into one another for me. I’m practicing as I create new iterations through exploration. And I love a mini-series! So I’ll create between five to six works in this space. I’m always hopeful that the works speak to or complement one another well since I’m approaching the initial inspiration from a few different perspectives.    

Through this ongoing process, I’m diving deeper into what it is I’m expressing and communicating and finding that there is a well-rounded dialogue that is emerging and forming, which is also expanding and strengthening the vocabulary or through-line within my work. And so the cycle repeats and continues to feed into itself.  

Now that I’ve written it out, what’s coming to mind is to think about it like propagation. Now there’s an idea, let’s see where that will lead me.