Monday, March 23, 2009

A Week of Inspiration: Where I find it and get it and oh yeah, FREE BEADS!!



Officially it's spring. If you saw the countdown clock on the Today Show on Friday, you know it's here. Or maybe you don't need Matt and Meredith to tell you it's spring - you just know it.

Me, come March 1st, I decide it's spring. I know, I know, it may not look like spring outside come March 1st but I have to switch. Enough with the winter already, I have to have spring. So I do. I decided long ago March 1st was spring and so be it.

I'm looking around at the remnants of winter in my studio and things need freshening up. It's time for some inspiration. So this week, I'm going to show you where I find inspiration and give away some free beads. But let's start with a definition of inspiration.

Dictionary.com defines Inspiration as "stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity."

Bland definition don't you think? A definition for inspiration should be more flowery, more descriptive. Let me take a whack at how I'd describe it....

Inspiration is the feeling that comes over you when you visit the Grand Canyon where the colors are so vibrant they seem to pulse. You feel your heart pound and the air seems thick with ideas and jump from you drawing pencils to your sketchbook.

Whaddaya think? I'm not sure I've made alot of sense but that's how inspiration feels to me. Now, dear readers, I want you to try your hand at describing how you feel when you're inspired. It doesn't have to make sense, just write what you feel.

I'll take all the comment-ers names and put them in a hat for a drawing for free beads. Yes FREE BEADS! I'll post today's winner on Wednesday. Here are today's giveaway beads



Write your definition of inspiration and win free beads - can't get much better than that!

I look forward to reading your definition of inspiration!

(Photo credit: Me!)

10 comments:

Deb said...

First off I have to say that I am pleased that you start celebrating spring on the 1st of march!
(I was beginning to think that NZ was odd because our seasons (although opposite - we're into Autumn) officially start on the 1st of the month.

My definition of Inspiration; Visual beauty that influences my mind enough to make me stop & literally takes my breath away, makes me want to imprint that moment on my mind forever, knowing it can never exactly be recreated as it appears at that moment. Be it a sunset or sunrise, beautiful scenery, the iridescence of an insects wings as it flies or the tapestry of images woven by something or some place exotic & exciting, even a beautiful piece of fabric.

sharon said...

inspiration usually comes to me from some form of nature that is too beautiful for words when you see it, and you just have to try to interpret it into the form of art you practice, it's moving; it makes your heart palpitate, and it's addictive, and obsessive.

Mary Harding said...

Hi Cindy,
When I feel inspired I feel exceptionally happy and full of energy. I really can't say what inspires me before I see it. It could be a fabulous color of beads like the gorgeous stick pearls and copper crusted pearls I am using right now to make a necklace or some paper birch bark like I saw last night on a walk. But being inspired is what keeps me making art since that is the best part--the excitement and the joy.

thecolorofdreams said...

I can be inspired by the patterns on a rug or fabric, the birds in the backyard or the flowers with the butterflies. It is so stimulating to try to capture the colors and feeling in my polymer clay beads and jewelry.

Tory said...

Inspiration is movement.

Anonymous said...

這麼好的貼,竟然沒有人頂,我來頂一個.

大家也來幫我頂一下哦.

Shai Williams said...

Anthing can inspire me but I can tell that I am inspired when my mind starts zipping all over the place and the only way to calm it down is to create

Katie said...

When I feel really inspired I feel like there's a rush of ideas pouring over me...That's when I have to grab a piece of paper and start jotting (or scribbling) down the ideas as they come to me...If I don't get the ideas out of my head and onto paper, they may be lost forever...

When I am in the right place to let the inspiration rush out, it's a great feeling...It can be a little scary when you are inspired with a great idea but are somewhere where you can't get it out of your mind and onto paper so you can change it from an abstract idea to something that can actually be accomplished...

Anonymous said...

I think I only truely understand inspiration once I've moved into that inspired state, where my brain starts to go real quick and I have to make an effort to slow it down and make purposeful actions. I'm not a big sketcher so sometimes the ideas are lost forever...so I don't really think of it as inspiration unless I can take it the next step of doing something with it. Bring on spring!!

Cindy Gimbrone said...

Wow! What awesome definitions/descriptions of inspiraton!

Keep them coming! I'll include anyone who comments by 5pm EST today (March 24th) in the drawing for Monday's beads.

I'm inspired just reading what everyone has written!

Inspiringly yours,
Cindy