This Week's Inspiration
Reading Dwell Magazine September / October 2018.
This week I've selected one of my old architectural magazines for inspiration and reflection. I usually purchase these types of magazines to review leisurely, yet rarely find the time to do so. This week, I did just that, albeit dispersed through multiple mini sessions throughout the week.
I used white sheets of paper, post it notes and paper clips to prepare this edition with placeholders for easy reference for future ideas and hopefully, creative projects.
Already, I found the process useful and personally rewarding.
You never know where inspiration may come from.
Through this particular edition, I’ve found a quote I particularly liked, and a poem (that was etched into a home) that was very fitting for me and deeply inspirational.
I share them below.
Morning reading with coffee.
I’ve developed my affinity for great coffee from growing up in New Orleans and my contentment for reading, meditation and journalling from my Dad.
Recently, my dad stayed with me and my family. With his presence, I was reminded of my childhood memory of waking up early in the morning, to lay on the floor throw pillows, and watch my dad sit at his desk working. My dad continues this morning ritual, of waking up early (even on his vacations) to read, pray, meditate, journal, exercise and plan his day(s).
Just as when I was a child, I found myself waking up to see my dad at our dining room table with his books, papers, and journals.
As a mom to a rising three year old, I found deep appreciation and value for my dad waking up early in the before everyone else and taking an hour or two to do something, that was just for him.
No matter what happens throughout the day, he’s taken time to feed and care for his soul. To treat himself to a moments of silence, peace, health, and inspiration.
As an artist, I like to imagine it’s my job to identify and prioritize moments for reading, writing, and seeking inspiration without the many interruptions of the daily world.
Even if it does not directly translate to a painting or a grand creative project, at least it has contributed to my personal peace, which I gladly take as a win.
Here are a few things I found inspiring by reading and tabbing my Dwell magazine:
Quote from the Editor’s Letter; Dwell Magazine Sept / Oct. 2018.
I found this great quote within the editor’s letter by Lara Deam, Founder, CEO of Dwell Magazine. I believe it codifies the creative process of taking an idea and transforming it into reality.
As you may know, I am obsessed with the process of alchemy and transforming thoughts and things into physical form. Art is an alchemic process. I tend to find myself always attracted to these themes for self study.
The quote was in reference to design and how architects think about design.
Here is the full quote:
“Good design is not applied onto things. It is integral to their essence. It has context.
One skill of architects is that they solve problems holistically. They think about the details, obsess over them, and then support a vision to manifest them.”
I also enjoyed looking at a photo of a designer sitting at a table, reviewing various materials and blueprints, with stylish cup of black coffee. It represented slowing down for me, take my time with ideas, materials, colors, sketches, jotted down thoughts, as well as, the idea of staging more professional photos of me and my work.
Enjoy and share the creative process more.
I find that even if the idea generated may be random, you never know where it may lead. I find this exciting, and why I enjoy reading and flipping through magazines. Sometimes, it’s less about what is printed and more about what ideas it inspires.
The final inspiration I’ve found, was this poem: “Roll the Dice” by Charles Bukowski.
A featured home, had a portion of this poem painted on the facade. I decided to look it up and found the poem to be kismet.
Here’s the poem:
“if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
otherwise, don’t even start.
if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.
go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,
isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance, of
how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.
if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like
that.
you will be alone with the gods
and the nights will flame with fire.
do it, do it, do it.
do it.
all the way
all the way.
you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter, its
the only good fight
there is.”
The poem reminds me to go all in.
It implores the reader to take heed of their desires and give their entire self to the pursuit of their goals. It advises us to overcome our fears of releasing our old lives, and risking our safety comfort zones to seek that thing, we desire the most.
The poem lists out our ultimate fears and makes us face them by naming each one of them and encouraging us to do it regardless. Oddly enough, by naming them one by one in the poem lessens their power these things have over me.
I interpreted finding this poem to be my message from the Universe to “do it anyway.”
Maybe there is a message in it somewhere for you.