What Inspires Me

stacey maree - robin illustration

What Inspires Me

This little woodland robin is inspired by a little something I wrote recently about taking some time out to myself and actively finding things that inspire me.

I’m always so inspired by nature and wildlife, which I’m sure is pretty obvious throughout my work. I have been particularily drawn to small birds recently and have always wanted to draw a little robin. So that was the notion behind this piece – to draw something that I’ve always wanted to.

Other things that I’ve been doing that inspire me include crocheting, gardening and caring for my indoor plant babies, spending time in book shops and libraries, visiting galleries, reading more and spending more time writing on my blog.

If I’m ever feeling a little uninspired in the studio I tend to go for a walk and get back to nature. I make sure I stop and really soak up all the details; vines creeping up tree’s, mushrooms hidden under logs and all the little critters flying from one flower bud to the other.

What do you do that inspires you? Is there something you enjoy that you’ve neglected lately?

What do you do to feel inspired?

What do you do to feel inspired?

stacey maree art studio

So you may have noticed I’ve been a little quiet on here recently. The last few weeks I have felt really uninspired and unmotivated. Which has been hard for me to pin point, as I’ve never experienced this before in all my years creating. To be perfectly honest it’s a bit of a shock because I’m usually so easily inspired.

I think it’s definitely something that’s important to recognise and talk about, as I’m sure I’m neither the first nor the last artist to experience this lack of motivation at some stage in their art career. After all, a lot of us are a one girl band, doing everything ourselves from sending off orders, packaging, accounting, showcasing, promoting. Then finding time to create amongst all the craziness, that it’s no wonder we sometimes run out of juice. Especially when life catches up with us.

For me, I think it’s a number of things, that got me asking a few questions. Perhaps I’m not spending enough time creating? Am I feeling overwhelmed? Do I need to branch out with a new medium? Or maybe it’s more personal? The complications with my physical health and the grief of loosing a loved one have caught up with me. Regardless of the cause, I believe the most important step for anyone else out there experiencing this also, is to take this time to work on some self-care. Which is exactly what I’ve been doing the last few weeks. By taking some time out, working on some self-love and finding activities that inspire me.

That is what has inspired this piece. To create something for myself, for no particular reason or goal, just because. To have some me time, to reflect and remember why I love doing what I do. It has certainly helped me reading and listening to other artists experiencing this themselves and understanding that it’s okay. That it happens to the best of us. So I ask you, if you’ve experienced this too, to please share and add your experiences. I’d love to hear what you do to feel inspired?

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Creative Process

Creative Process

Stacey Maree Art Studio

After going through my studio, I realised I have neglected a few pieces to the point where I completely forgot they existed… eek! It got me thinking of my creative process and how I work. I also made a quick note of the ones found hidden in journals and to come back to them at some stage!

Every artist is different and everyone works differently. I tend to have a few pieces on the go at once. Currently I have five that I have started, halfway through or near competition. I don’t generally have that many in motion at once, usually one or two. But lately I find my hands cannot keep up with my mind! So much so that my journals are usually full of more notes and scribbles of ideas rather then actual drawings. It’s a great way for me to clear the clutter from my mind as my imagination wanders.

It also allows me to be a bit more strategic with ideas, critically analysing elements to determined whether or not they work within a piece or to simply let it be. Perhaps coming back to that idea later on, add to it or use it for a different piece entirely. I have since created an inspiration book to assist with this process, something I’ll touch on in more detail another time.

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Deciding which piece to work on is very determined by my mood and which one I’m drawn to in the present moment. I could be nearly finished a piece and simply not feel it that day. Which is important to me, not only because I know I’ll be able to draw better once in that zone, but also so that the piece isn’t forced and grows naturally. I cannot work on a piece unless my heart is fully in it.

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This is the reason you may find me constantly changing between drawings. I’m working on the piece that’s sings out to me the most and it feels right. I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing… I believe it’s preventing the piece from becoming stale and forced. Allowing myself to work on it with a fresh set of eyes. That’s just what works for me.

If you’d like to take a glimpse at some of the pieces I’ve been working on recently, you’re welcome to pop on over to my Instagram or Tumblr feed that has all my works in progress and a few behind the scenes images! Hope you enjoy!