Creativity and Inspiration and Work

The last two posts have been about the links and patterns in my thoughts and memories that lead to inspiration and my best work.

I listened to a teleconference about time management yesterday - I got a few good nuggets out of it. And, since I have had three conversations lately with friends struggling with their creativity and how to use it, I thought about a few things that have helped me stay focused on my work. Maybe I can share a little with you.

How to approach art as work:

First and foremost - if you're an artist - it's your job. You must get up and go to work every day. Don't wait to be inspired. Just do something. In the middle of the process, even if it seems like drudgery - keep going - something will spark. Think of it this way - if you were a lawyer, or an accountant or a bus driver - you don't wait until you "feel like it" to do your work; your JOB is the same way. Otherwise, it is an avocation, not a vocation... ask yourself if it's a hobby or how you want to make a living.

This notion that you must be dead first to make it as an artist is ridiculous. Why bother? We can all name some artists, crafts people, writers, etc. that have made it big in their lifetime. Aspire to be one of those. Someone's gonna make it - why not me? Why not you? As the old adage goes - "there's always room at the top."

Not everything you create will be genius to you. Every artist produces duds. But, your dud might be just the thing for someone else - it might speak to them - so don't judge, just produce your best work!

If you're a writer - you don't have to write the next great American novel - if you're worried you won't be able to back it up with the next novel... how many people freeze if they can't do the best? Gee - have you seen a movie lately? Someone is buying up that crap.
Can't paint the Mona Lisa? Gee - have you seen a shark in a tank of formaldehyde? That "art" sold for millions?! Can you explain the popularity of Thomas Kincad or Ed Hardy?
Worried your next dress design won't make the cover of Vogue? Gee - a lot of people shop at Kohls.
What I am saying is - the world of "art" runs the gamut from Renoir to Velvet Paintings...from "War & Peace" to "I Love New York." Know where you want to be in that continuum.

Set goals. Read or listen to the greatest business people, every motivational speaker on earth and they will all tell you the same thing. Set goals. Write them down. Write down the steps that will take you toward fulfilling those goals [they're called objectives] and do them. You can listen to "the Secret" all day long - and it won't make anything happen by magic - you have to move your ass - you have to work on achieving your objectives to make your goals.

Stay focused. If you are an artist, building your business is a brick-by-brick process. Don't take on projects that are not in your goals - and don't get distracted.

Everyone will have great ideas for you. I can't tell you how many people have told me to paint dogs. I don't want to paint dogs- the thought of it gives me hives. Do what is true to you - but do remember this - you have a product. Whether it is a painting, a screenplay, a dress you designed or any other "thing," you have to take that product to market. Someone has to desire it. You need to sell it - so you can be true to yourself, as long as you know your customer base wants what you're making.

You will hit low points. You will feel like a failure. You can stay depressed and go nowhere, or you can use your time to dust off and move forward. If you want something enough that you can see it, taste it, smell it - if you can picture it, you can do it. Take a Psycho-Cybernetics course if you need a workshop that will help you reach goals. Listen to Zig Ziglar or any other speaker. None of them will tell you how to build your business, really - but they will tell you to set goals.

It's great to be creative. It's not great to wait until you feel creative to do something.

My favorite place for inspiration is the library. I'm lucky that I'm interested in so many things. I know exactly what stacks to hit - grab a bunch of books. I always find a jumping off place. The best thing is - the library is free.

For me - creating every day is part of who I am. No matter what I am painting, I look at it this way - I'M PAINTING!
As much as I want to keep working on the series I've started, I do have moments when I stray... I just finished a portrait last night that is very different than the others I've done lately - it was like a little break.

And, I like it. Someone else will like it, too.

Lastly - it might just be up to you to sell your work. Until someone else becomes your biggest cheerleader, it's gotta be you. There is nothing wrong with marketing yourself. If you don't believe, who will?

Go to the library and get "The War of Art," [not the Art of War] and read it or listen to it. It will help you figure out a way to make your art your job.

NOW GET TO WORK!

Flora, Madonna of the Roses

Flora, Madonna of the Roses - 18x36" - $2450.00

Back when I was a display/store/visual merchandiser... I designed a set of beautiful wood store fixtures for Levi Strauss & Co. - for a women's jeans concept store-within-a-store. The fixtures were wood and dyed gray. My designs were featured on the cover of Visual Merchandising and Store Design Magazine. Pretty cool! I then went on to design another set of fixtures for Levi's - this time, I went wild. [hang on, this will all make sense]

I had studied Charles Rennie Mackintosh- an architect from Scotland - who worked at the turn of the century [1900] - he was a pioneer in the Arts & Craft Movement and Art Nouveau - and the kind of architect who designed buildings, furniture, decorative items [linens, table-settings, everything!] - and he came way before Frank Lloyd Wright! Mackintosh's wife, Margaret MacDonald was an artist in her own right. I've always been in love with their aesthetic. The fixtures I designed for Levi's were made of wood - ash - and were dyed hot pink. They were based [very loosely] on Mackintosh's bedroom furniture - from his own home in Glasgow. His furniture, however, was white.

When I visited Scotland [I've been several times], I made a pilgrimage to Glasgow - all the requisite C.R.M. spots. When I visited his home, I was the only visitor in the house at the time. There were security cameras around, but I did touch the piece of furniture pictured above... and cried!

Both Charles and Margaret used stylized roses in their designs. I have this in a frame at home:

One of my favorite flowers are white roses. [I'm all about true love] - I have two aunts named Rose. I prefer rose gold. I had a dog named Rosie...I also am crazy about this painting of the Madonna of the Roses by William Aldolphe Bouguereau. So my newest piece, which I am calling "Flora - Madonna of the Roses," has the influence of both. My Flora has a rose-ringed halo, and she is behind a bower of red and pink roses! I tried to make her face sweet and slightly seductive...after all, red roses are the symbol of passion - and my series of icons really has nothing to do with religion - just my ideas!

Flora - that's the name of the woman who lived on the isle of Skye - the one who saved Bonnie Prince Charlie when he came to Scotland to seize the throne [it didn't work out, so he went over the sea to Skye]. The story is unrelated, but I do have Bonnie Prince Charlie's biography on my nightstand.

So when you see my next piece - you'll know where the influences came from...! I know it's a crappy picture... I'll post a better one on my site.!

If I hadn't...

If I hadn't been to Jerusalem, I might not have known about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
If I hadn't been to Istanbul, I might not have known about Constantine and his conversion.
If I hadn't read "The Last Pink Bits" I might not have known about the Island of St. Helena, where Napoleon spent his last days.
If I hadn't been out of work at the time, I might not have traveled to Oregon in an orange Fiat right after Mount St. Helen's blew up.
And, if I hadn't been watching "The Naked Archeologist" last night, I might not have known that St. Helena was Emperor Constantine's mother, who became the first "pilgrim" to visit the Holy Land and built churches on the sites of Calvary, the true cross, and the birthplace of Jesus.
Or, would I have known she is the patron saint of archeologists and the capital of Montana.
Look for an upcoming mosaic portrait of St. Helena...just for fun.

Re-Used Treasures

Did you know...
Emperor Justinian used relics and ornament he "stole" from Greek and Egyptian temples... including pillars from the Temple of the Goddess in Ephesus to create the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul?
And...
Constantine imported the obelisk in the Hippodrome from Egypt - the only column left in what is now a park.
Did you know...
The Crusaders stole relics, pillars and treasures - and brought them back to Europe - the horses adorning St. Mark's in Venice - and the Columns of San Marco and San Todaro were from Istanbul.

Ephesus, Istanbul and Venice are a few of the most spectacular places I've visited.
They are places that inspire me -

My mosaics - talk about upcycle - I take something of little or no value and create something of greater value... my artworks are made of tiny treasures pillaged from drawers of junk mail, calendars, old greeting cards and photographs.

Inspiration comes in many forms - and materials are transmuted into treasures [at least I like to think so...].

Check it out: http://www.schimmelart.com

Icons, Madonnas, Angels and personal Demons

I have started a new series of large pieces - inspired by a bunch of personal touchstones: images and attributes of women, mosaics, Russian Icons, the Madonna [the original one, you know...a nice Jewish girl...] - this is not a spiritual calling, but I am approaching the series with a religious fervor.

I have been fascinated by religious images - without the spiritual attachment. I noticed today - I have four [count 'em, FOUR] images of Da Vinci's "Virgin of the Rocks" in my hallway. One of the first mosaic portraits I created was a self-portrait - and I gave myself a couple of halos [please do not read into that...I was just going with a Byzantine theme]. A couple of years ago, I created a version of the "Virgin of Guadalupe" just for kicks.

I also like shiny objects - and have been incorporating the gold foil and other metallics found in my collection of used Christmas cards into my work for a while now. Throw a little Klimt in the mix, too.

So, my new series of Icons begins with a portrait of a woman - I've called it "St. Catherine of Bologna, Patron Saint of Artists." Next, "Fashion Icon," and my newest piece "Rhythm & Hymn."
I am currently working on a gorgeous blonde angel. This might take a while... each strand of blonde takes hours to complete.

All of the large pieces are for a museum show coming up this fall - they are for sale, but will be on display through mid-January. However, I will create limited edition giclees [reproductions] of several pieces - and each giclee will be hand embellished and no two will be alike - much more affordable. For instance, "St. Catherine" will be about $7,000.00 - a hand embellished giclee [18x24"] will be $350.00.

And yes, I will also create some prints.

The allusion to personal demons? Let's just say there is a lot of crazy stuff going on these days! I think creating visions of womanly strength, fortitude and hope is a kind of therapy - if you know what I mean. Nothing beats time in the studio - pouring your heart on to canvas.

One more thing - OKAY, Okay - I will create earrings. I made some funky jewelry from some of my work - that I wore on Access Hollywood. I wear them for fun. Enough people have asked me to make and sell said earrings... I hear ya! But, if I am going to make earrings, they are going to be fabulous. So sit tight and I'll post info on my site and here as soon as I have a pair to show you.

S

Previous Lives leaking into this one?

I had a recurring dream when I was in high school. The dream was in third person - Instead of seeing out of my eyes, I saw myself. I was an Italian soldier during World War II. I was young, handsome - in uniform. During a skirmish in St. Peter's Square -- "I" was shot in the back. Of course, at the time, I didn't know it was St. Peter's. As if it was a film, I saw myself falling / dying - toward the camera.

I was about to go overseas for the summer, and the dream seemed like a portent - an omen of doom. My friend Sharon & I were heading to Italy after a 2 month stint on a Kibbutz in Israel. When we arrived in St. Peter's, I freaked. That was the location of the dream [the converging lines, the colonnades. So, from that time on, I'm convinced that was a previous life.

I'm into some crazy metaphysical stuff - and had my akashic records read [stick with me]. In this reading, I found that another previous life had been lived as a nun who went into the convent against her will - and one who had taken a vow of silence. This is supposed to explain why I talk too much in this life.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of my weirdness... but as I posted my newest work on my web site, I noticed a theme... a Catholic Saint [from Italy], an Italian opera, an Italian painting... what's going on in my head?

I've always had a thing for images of the Madonna [the first one], golden halos, Russia Icons and women's faces. So, I'm not surprised these elements are showing up in my work. And, the mosaic tradition continues.

I love opera - Italian, of course.
The most beautiful place on earth? Venice... and where I studied the amazing mosaics at St. Marks.

And, with eidetic imagery and art history hanging out together in my brain, artwork I've seen before is finding its way into images I create today.

So, there seems to be a theme happening...?! The newest piece is the beginning of a series of Icons. This one is "St. Catherine of Bologna - Patron Saint of Artist." The top image is entitled "Tosca" and look - I've done Boticelli's Venus 4 times!

A little strange... my background is Hungarian, Jewish, New Yorker. Anyone in the mood for a nice seafood risotto?

news

Hey - did you see me in the June issue of Art Business News?

Hey - did you see my blog posted on Art Fair Calendar's Blog?

AND -

Apparently, I am featured in a new book - Ripley's Believe It or Not! "Seeing is Believing.” It officially comes out August 4 and will be available through all major bookstores and online.

I'm in for upcycling.

"All American Blonde" is featured... I just found about this yesterday - funny, I don't remember them asking for the image...?!

Strange, huh?!

By the way, I am planning on heading to L.A. tomorrow night to audition for the reality show [think Project Runway, Top Chef] that Magical Elves is doing on Bravo. Wish me luck!