Your creativity is sparked by input from various sources. Reading is the best way to open your world to new ideas and possibilities. Many people read fiction, and that is a legitimate source of ideas and images that you can access. But you should get out of your comfort zone and read areas that you usually don’t access. Nonfiction poetry, academic papers, philosophical, historical, psychological reading all enlarge your understanding of the world and give you sources for your own thoughts, ideas, and images to use in your artwork. I have been inspired by science, politics, and fictional literature in many of my works. A current series I have worked on was inspired by Joseph Campbell, a professor of mythology and folklore along with Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz. I created six mixed media paintings of Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey”. If I hadn’t been exposed to Campbell’s writing and had not read (and watched) the Wizard of Oz, this series would not existed.
I begin each day with journaling and reading. This practice informs the artwork that I produce. I urge you to explore different genres, cultures and time periods through a variety of reading.
