I used to think that the evocative work of my favorite artists was possible only because there was a little bit of magic involved-like the stars being aligned when they were born or they had access to a secret world of inspiration that I didn’t. It wasn’t that I doubted my artistic or creative skills, but clearly there was a secret way of life I didn’t know about that produced the kind of work I admired in others while my own felt like it was perpetually hitting an invisible glass ceiling.
I don’t wonder about that secret artist’s life anymore. While I am a big believer in the wonderful mystical unknown, I have since realized that so much of what happens behind the hidden door of inspired art-making is not really magic, or even unattainable. What changed? What did I discover?
It began with a dissection of my creative life. I was determined to find out what my favorite artists were doing that I wasn’t. Did I fall asleep when this was taught in Design School? I started asking myself : what were the most important things I needed to make art? First on the list was Inspiration, to have the favor of Lady Muse. I also needed to hone my skill set and get enough practice. And obviously, I needed art materials and supplies. Looking at my list I realized I was already doing all of these, so why did I feel that something was still missing?
Then, two things happened that changed everything. It opened the door to that secret world and transformed everything I thought I knew about my creativity and what it means to be inspired.
The first incident took place at a magical retreat in Glastonbury, in a circle of kindred spirits. It was here that I discovered, for the first time in a long long while, how it feels to truly come alive- the kind of aliveness that awakens the soul the way a dive into an icy forest pool awakens the body. Outwardly nothing changed very much, but inwardly something clicked into place and I felt like I found a long-lost door to my personal world of wonder, overgrown with bramble from disuse. Even though, at that time I was already creating work to enchant others, I realized that deep down inside, my own well of enchantment had long since gone dry.
The second thing that happened took shape over two years of experimenting with this newly-discovered world of wonder. I found that if I was intentional in what I allowed to matter in my creative life, my art-making became more meaningful and relevant. Instead of coasting on auto pilot and letting curated online feeds tell me what I should take an interest in, I started exploring and finding things out for myself, and as a result, my real-world adventures started to dazzle in a way it never did before.
It was as if suddenly, I was seeing everything with newly awakened eyes- the world became vivid technicolor when before, it was black and white. And my work changed dramatically-I developed a deeper and richer connection to it and I started feeling more creatively fulfilled than any time in my life. I didn’t realize how much I was craving for this change until I experienced it. It’s like how they say, you don’t know you were lost until you’ve experienced being found.
So what does all this really mean? What was the missing magic piece?
If I were to sieve these experiences into jewels of wisdom, it would be that I re-discovered my aliveness. This was the key to the secret world of inspiration I didn’t know I needed.
It’s the kind of aliveness that happens when we feel wonder and connection. Not when we watch a documentary on wildlife or browse through a favorite artist’s site, but when we step out into the wild to watch 30 foot waves crash against the cliffs while seals frolic about nonchalantly. Not the kind of connection that’s vicarious and virtual the way we exchange heart emoticons in emails, but the cozy warmth of a hug and a feather-light touch of the hand. Tangible, tactile, sensorial. Real.
I thought I was unique in this need. I thought that surely I was the only one that felt that hollow reverberation of something missing in my (creative) life. I thought true inspiration was a magical gift bestowed on a selected few. But no, this was not about magic, it was about aliveness.
And here’s when it comes full circle. A few weeks ago, I took a brave step towards a dream I’ve been wanting to make real ever since I sat enveloped in that glow of kindred spirits in Glastonbury : I opened up my treetop studio in the enchanting Santa Susana Knolls to other artists and creatives in my community. And in doing so, I inadvertently paid forward what I learned. I discovered that I wasn’t alone at all. That the need for real life wonder and human connection is burning inside every one of our artist’s souls. So much so that all my Art Salon attendees could say for the first 30 minutes of our gathering was how much they needed being there. What they were going through resonated deeply with me, I felt their longing for wonder and connection as keenly as if it were my own.
Conversations flowed like a river, and berry crumbles, tea and finger sandwiches soon disappeared as the sun slipped lower and lower, sending magic light into the studio. We connected over our mutual need for more connection-to each other, to nature, to our aliveness. We shared and laughed over our stories and struggles as easily as if we’ve known each other all our lives.
Then I took them to my secret hiking spot to catch the sunset, and that’s when I knew for sure that the ‘something missing feeling’ wasn’t my experience alone. Because I watched them come alive and heal just as I did in Glastonbury. And it was wonder that did it. So much tangible wonder and aliveness missing in the artist souls of the world. So much hunger for it unknown and unmet. It truly breaks my heart.
Watching my fellow artists and creatives-these amazingly talented, beautiful souls come alive from a simple sunset hike moves me deeply. I feel called to share more of the enchanting experiences I’ve discovered for myself with hope that it heals others creatively as it did for me. So I’ve put together a few things you can do right now to introduce a little more real world sparkle in your life:
:: I made a short film and a free little adventure-planning guide for you so you can start creating your own wonder-seeking experiences. Hop on here to watch the film and grab the guide.
:: If you’re based around LA, come join me at my Enchanted Evenings Art Salon every month and we’ll go for sunset hikes together. (May’s Art Salon next week is ready for RSVPs, spots are very limited so book your spot ASAP.)
Tell me below, do you feel like you’ve lost your sense of aliveness? What will you do to bring it back?
Do you know someone who needs a spark of tangible wonder? Share this Travelogue post with them.
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Connect with the Art Salon creatives: artist Ashley Snively, photographer Linda Abbot, herbalist Mai Lovaas