Do You Have “Hippy Block?”

I’ve been thinking about doing a blog for a long time. It seems that when I’m creating something for a client or an employer, like most creative minds, I get stuck sometimes. It’s like “writer’s block”, or in this case, my version, “hippy block” of your artistic flow.  It seems that I get all wrapped up in the strategic plan and forget to brainstorm and for the lack of better words, “think outside the box,” to create the best work I can produce.

I always wish that I had one or two places to go to get the creative juices flowing again. Sure, we have the internet, with Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, etc. and yes, they are all great sources for inspiration. This blog can be one of them. But all the other resources seem to be computer generated, not much seems to be hand done or organic anymore. I don’t always get my inspirations from computer generated images, unless of course they are photographs of God’s creations. Now we’re talkin’.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is sometimes the real inspirations will come from a God creation that you and I simply don’t pay attention to or too busy to stop and just be and some are really based on our roots and upbringing. I’m no exception.

Today I found cases and boxes of my art work from college (above image from my portfolio). Oh, I was so excited to leaf through it and it inspired me to start this blog. I began to think about what inspired each piece, what it was created with and how it always went back to my beliefs, my roots, how I was raised, where I was raised and what means the most to me. Sometimes the inspiration would come from the world I created and expected of myself. Some good and some creative circumstances, not so good. But yet, I really got excited when I realized what I was missing and why. A place to be creative and go back to those free-wheeling days of original commercial art, fine art, photography and brainstorming until all the ideas are scribbled onto a piece of paper or board. Then and only then, was it time to make a strategic decision for that best creative solution and the excitement to know that you nailed it.

This art piece was created with scratchboard with film overlay (traced from a photograph, photographer unknown) for a commercial art class. The title was created by me and reminds me of my dad. Though he is not Amish, his childhood was spent growing up on a farm.

So my goal for this blog is to inspire you too, through the images that I will post here, the organic ideas and the words that transpire from my thoughts.

God bless!
The Inspirational Hippy