Jul 3, 2008

What inspires you?

As you may have noticed, I've been lax about posting. It's not that I have forgotten. I remember every week, because I am extraordinarily anal retentive and have a palm pilot set up with automatic task lists and reminders. I sometimes even add a task that says I need to add more tasks to my list. I do no jest. Never about tasks.

But I am having a hard time feeling inspired to write here. Not because of a lack of inspiration or topics to write about, but because the reporting on this inspiration is so formatted and scheduled.

Here is a short list of the experiences I've had lately that have inspired me as an artist...
  • Getting a brick thrown through the window of my car. The empowerment of taking care of it all on my own (with a baby strapped to my hip, no less). The guilt that I felt in this situation. (e.g. I have too much stuff, and someone must have been really desperate to do something so foul for mere stuff. I am a bad person for having so much stuff.). A strange mixture of emotion that I of course wanted to know more about.
  • The smell of bacon in the third act of The Hypocrites production of Our Town. Still brings tears to my eyes when I think about that moment.
  • The feeling of the skin on my back getting tighter as I sat in the sun for hours watching my son go up and down the slide in the baby pool at Whealan Park. He had such a look of utter joy every single time. I like to see that experiences do not always spoil with repetition.
What has inspired you lately? Inquiring minds want to know.

And for the record, I don't know when I'll be back.

2 comments:

anonymous said...

An interesting post I thought might make for good exercises: 3 Things to Do If You Are Creatively Stuck.

To answer your question for myself, I would have to say:
1. The brochure for the Capital Fringe Festival
2. You're paid?!
3. Contributing to the Chicago Theater Database.
4. Ithaca Falls
5. Saying goodbye over and over again.

Danielle Filas said...

Great question!
For me...
1. Experiencing some really fabulous piece of art, theatre, writing, or music. Makes me want to go and make some. Great art begets art.
2. Experiencing some really horrible piece of art, theatre, writing, or music. Makes me want to go and get it right. Great anger begets art?
3. Standing with my feet in the ocean or with tons of stars over my head or both. Makes me want to be part of it all. Greatness begets art?
4. Being extraordinarily bored, sad, or restless. Makes me want to get to another plane. Great itchiness begets art?
5. Being hated. Makes me want to fight back! Great vengeance begets art?
6. The thousands of lightning bugs outside right now, seeing the birth of my friend's children, eating a great meal. Makes me want to create, too! Great Spirit begets art.
7. Close deadlines. Makes me quit procrastinating and just do it. Great urgency begets art.