Inspiration

The only real answer to the question “...and where did the inspiration for this piece come from?” is “search me.”

It’s a question that people ask out of a sort of time-tested cultural thing when faced with an artists work, and one which no-one answers honestly, because if they knew the answer and could tap into it like turning on the light, then they would be geniuses, and most aren’t.

What may be meant with the above question is very close to the next question, which is “...and what were your influences?”... well, the honest answer to that is “Everything I have ever seen, heard or thought”.

No-one ever gives that answer either....and that answer means that all Intellectual Property is stolen content anyway.

So, if you try and answer the first question as if it was the second, then you end up with nothing to say when they ask you the second one.

So, with the second question they actually want you to name people, artists they may have heard of, that have been role models in your artistic work. really tho, all other artists are crap because otherwise you would give up, or do copies.

So...you answer the Influences Question with a string of names of artists who are trendy enough or obscure enough to make you look educated... only to dig a bigger hole for yourself because the Third Question is...”and who are your artistic heros?”... a question you already answered. Doh!..

The whole process of design is as much a mystery for those of us that do it as it is for those that see some product of the process and are at a bit of a loss as to how, why and where it fits into their world view.

Design seems to me a bit like juggling thousands of pieces of a puzzle, some bits are directly related to the medium you are using, your abilities, desired outcome, size, etc. The more technical aspects get decided a few at a time, like you have to decide a medium fairly early on, and size may not be a issue you can determine once a medium is chosen.

As more decisions get made, often in quick succession, then some of the pieces of the puzzle start to coalesce around them like water vapour around a speck of dust. They are sets of pieces. You may still have no idea whatsoever what the final product will look like.

These sets of pieces then have still to be juggled, kept moving...various combinations tried mentally, turned over again and again like a sort of manic obsession, endlessly varying, 24/7. This is a state of consciousness which is unlike any 'normal' state... probably not 'healthy' either. Slightly 'disturbed'. Mental.

As the sets start to come together then a hint of a product can come into view, and you may start to get an idea of what you are creating.

Inspiration strikes when, suddenly, for seemingly no particular reason you can see all those sets fit into a whole.

You try it out, in the medium you have decided upon.

From then on in, the rest is a sort of problem solving technique. Like a jigsaw, this bit doesn’t fit...those bits go well together.....

Smaller episodes of juggling and inspiration later and you have something resembling a product.

Then, with whatever skill you have, you polish, fine-tune, and, when it’s ready, you show it to someone,......you have to,..... because by this time you probably can’t stand the sight of it anymore. It has eaten up too much of your soul for you to feel benevolent towards it, it seems like a demanding child you want to get rid of.

...and the person asks.. “What was your inspiration for this piece?”

:))