Inspiration Experiment

I've been thinking more about inspiration.  If I give it a quick thought I can list of couple of things that inspire me, maybe even four or five.  Are there more?  Do they change over time?  Do they actually show up in my artwork or are they something that capture's my interest for a few moments then disappear into the netherworld of my brain, never to be thought of again.  Is my work affected or my goals and work habits or both?

So, no pre-thinking.  Here's a list of things that inspire me right now just as they pop into my head:

- the artwork hanging on the walls or in photo layouts of home decorating magazines

- children's art work - it is so spontaneous and free

- autumn with sharp blue skies, golden yellow and crunchy brown leaves against the deep evergreens, crisp cool air, the steel grey of the river

- a really, really good, hot steaming cup of apple cinnamon tea

- my daughter

- music not for the masses; not that there is anything wrong with those big, huge superstar singers - what tugs at me are the musicians who write their own songs, deep from their soul, then put themselves up on stage in front of five, ten, twenty or fifty people, and sing their heart for all to read

- words - from my e-course classmates, from my favorite blogs, from my friends

- taking a whole pile of photos and finding one in the bunch that I fall in love with

- bright paint colors

- walking into an art supply store (my childhood candy store equivalent)

- walking into a book store (my other childhood candy store equivalent)

I'm going to watch and be aware and see how inspiration affects me. It will be my own little inspiration experiment.  Feel free to join me.  I'd love to know what inspires you and how your inspiration shows up in your life.

--  Leah