Art As Inspiration

Often I pair one of my paintings with a verse or piece of poetry that I find especially fitting or connected to that particular work.That’s because I find inspiration in the written word, as well as the creation of a painting. Writing a verse, a piece of poetry, a short story or epic novel, or even composing a heartfelt letter to someone is certainly an art form. Choosing just the right words to convey to someone else the emotion you feel inside is no different than putting pastel to paper or paint brush to canvas to do the same. In either instance the creator is opening themselves up to others and sharing their most personal and intimate feelings and thoughts about life and their experiences in the hope that the viewer/reader will understand what they are trying to express.

Common threads of emotion are often touched upon in both the written word and the creation of two-dimensional art. I think that is why I so often discover a poem, or perhaps a few short lines in a verse, that perfectly “speaks” to what I was trying to convey, or what I was feeling, as I worked on a particular painting of mine.

Apparently, art as an inspiration is a two-way street. Just recently I was contacted by a creative writing major at a university in Washington State. One of my paintings had inspired her to write a piece of poetry and she wanted to know if I would be interested in reading it. The answer was a very enthusiastic, “Of course, I would be thrilled!” 

I found it quite exciting to know that my painting resonated with her enough that she was inspired to write a creative piece of her own about it.

Creativity sparking creativity! Think about it. It is absolutely wonderful and I believe we see it happening around us every month in RRAFA!