Love

How can you describe what a parent feels when he/she looks at her little one's face?

All these creative attempts that just burst out sometimes owe more than a little to her.

Where I find inspiration

My hands are itching to create.

Creativity comes in surges for me, and sometimes I go through horrible lulls. I had been going through one of these "dry" times a short while ago. Then I forced myself to complete small little nothings, doodles and sketches that wouldn't take more than 15 minutes. All of a sudden my mind started going a million miles. Today, I realized that I'm in full swing, adding more projects to my little book then I can get to.

But how to decide what to draw (or what to sew, to write, to create) at that point when you feel like you have to force yourself? Go for something easy, with no-pressure, and don't fret if you don't like the results. It's the act of doing it that will help, not the final product.

For themes, there are always prompts and challenges, like the Sketchbook Challenge, Illustration Friday, the A-Z challenge, Communal Global, and Texture Tuesday, among may others that give you the option of posting in groups and visiting other blogs participating.

But for me there's another place where I can almost always count on getting inspiration: books.

I'm a visual reader. I mean, as I read I vividly see the scenes in my mind. Stories associate themselves to images, as well as touch sensations, smells, and tastes. For example, The Turn of the Screw forever makes me feel feverish and brings up the color white to mind.

All it takes are a few lines of a poem sometimes (or a full one like this):

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

Are you-- Nobody--too?

Then there's a pair of us!

Don't tell! they'd banish us --you know!

How dreary --to be--Somebody!

How public--like a Frog--

To tell your name--the livelong June--

To an admiring Bog!

                              Emily Dickinson

(In this age of social media and reality tv with so many people shouting for attention and fame, this poem really speaks to me)

That poem inspired this super simple (and not so good) colored pencil drawing:

Although the final image flopped, it got me doing something, putting my pencils on paper.

I'm sharing all this because I think we all go through times where our creativity and motivation seem to move to some dark corner where we can't find it no matter what. I wanted to share a couple of strategies or ideas I've used successfully to force it out of its hiding place. I hope it's helpful to some of you.

Where do you draw your inspiration?

Celebration Giveaway }{ The Artistic Mother and Blogging For Bliss

6 months! May 29th marks my 6 months blogoversary.

It doesn't seem that long, but still, it's a milestone for me and this lil' blog.

So.... To celebrate, instead of doing a review today I'm doing a giveaway, woo hoo!

The prize: two of my favorite books: "The Artistic Mother" by Shona Cole (you can find my review of it here) and "Blogging for Bliss" by Tara Frey. Tara's book was another influential book in my creative and blogging journey, and I highly recommend it for those of you who blog.

The rules: Just leave me a comment by Saturday May 28th telling me your first choice of the books and a way for me to contact you (either email or a website). You can only leave one comment, any more will be deleted. Two winners will be picked - the first winner will get their first choice, while the second gets the other book (believe me, they're both amazing). International readers are welcome to join the giveaway, and I'll ship anywhere the post office sends packages to.

The time: winners will be chosen randomly (random.org) and posted here on Sunday, May 29th.

So there, two of you will be winning one of two awesome books to celebrate my blogoversary with me. Thank you so much for visiting, supporting, and sharing this journey with me. Here's to many more months together!

Why I create...

I'm not an artist; what I make isn't "art."

I have no innate talent and most of what I make is at best laughable.

I have no technique, no skill, but no illusions either.

Yet, I can't stop making things with my hands - drawing, sewing, knitting. I can't stop.

I'm usually a mess of a stress ball, trying to fit in some time to make some project in an already hectic day.

But I have to. Why?

Charles Bukowski wrote a poem telling would-be writers when they should write, and when they shouldn't. (I highly recommend this poem)

I'm (also) not a writer, not like what he means. But this part of the poem... This is me. This is why I can't stop creating something, anything.

"unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don't do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don't do it."

I have to do it. I've tried to stop, but I can't. So I do it.

No, I'm not an artist. But that need, that itch to make something, to create something, to translate the world around me is still there, burning my gut.

Why do you create?