The blending of art forms is intrinsic to soul expression. The great American Jazz Trumpeter; Miles Davis affirms the interconnectedness of mediums.“Painting is music you can see, and music is a painting you can hear.” Similar to painting, music has a way of transcending time and connecting us through truth, our truth. Pulling inspiration from one medium to another can create a beautiful flow and reveal the treasure map of your soul. Tune into your divine frequency.
At the beginning of my art journey, I drew inspiration from the lyrics of my favorite songs. When discovering who you are as an artist, it is natural to draw inspiration from the external world to feel connected.
TUNE IN
The power of storytelling surpasses the restrictions of a genre or medium. Inspiration can transpire from a song title you remember from childhood or an image posted on the dirty subway station walls. Like little nuggets of connection, the universe places itself on your path right on time. Trust the train to guide you to Creativity Ave.
When I listen to a song that moves me, I start to space out, and the beautifully chaotic collage of images begins. It’s like the scenes from That’s so Raven when she gets a vision. I tune into the channel and allow. Allow for flow without judgment.
I start with the center image or theme of the painting concept, and over time can build the world around it. It is helpful to sketch out these images while playing the song on repeat. The sketch does not have to be perfect. It can simply serve as a rough blueprint for the masterpiece to come. Just get the idea on paper.
My painting, Casualties of the Heart, is a surreal interpretation of John Mayer's song Heartbreak Warfare. The dismal lyrics, “Clouds of sulfur in the air, Bombs are falling everywhere," are attributed to the desolate background and bomb shooting out of the heart valve in the painting. I aimed to capture the stages of grief, setting boundaries to protect yourself from the people and things that no longer serve you.
Playing the song repetitively; helps me gain clarity on the emotional response it evokes in me. The drums and percussion sound like an accelerated heartbeat trying to steady itself. I focus on the drumbeat. An image of a massive heart starts to form. I hit the replay button again, again, and again like an unceasing heartbeat. Mayer agonizingly exclaims, “Push it in a twist the knife again, watch my face as I pretend to feel no pain, pain.” I tune into the emphasis on certain words and the emotional pull behind them. Every element can inform the other of its potential, a portal into a new dimension of exploration.
PORTAL OF INSPIRATION
Be open to exploring different mediums because you could be one medium away from finding your voice. You do not have to wait for inspiration to hit you upside the head. You can cultivate it for yourself. Pull from sources that speak to your individuality and spirit. What lights you up?
Say you want to become an interior designer; start putting together Pinterest Mood Boards for your dream projects. Utilize the tools at your fingertips to get started. Cultivating inspiration allows you to be in the driver’s seat of your artistic journey.
Draw from the magic within to guide you to your flow. All your life experiences and information you absorb subconsciously; influence your artistic expression. Accept why something registers with you when it does, and follow the desire. It is revealing something that your soul needs to say. Art is a process of becoming and unbecoming.
Painting and music both play to emotion. Both mediums evoke a through-line connection and transmute energy between the art and its viewer. We are not one-dimensional beings. In turn, your approach to creation should not be one-dimensional. We are complex visionaries. When you tune into your emotions, embrace vulnerability, and explore new mediums, you can open a limitless portal of inspiration. Soon you will realize your inner world is where the real magic resides.
COMMENT BELOW
What art mediums do you like to combine to express your creativity?
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