I was very gratified how many folks sent me emails and notes in response to my most recent newsletter, in which I invited people to share what inspires their creativity. I’m reprinting the cover letter below and providing a link to the full newsletter (please click the image to the left), in the hopes that even more of you will share the experiences that helped you “reach deeper and wider” within yourself.
“A couple of weeks ago, I spent Wednesday evening wandering around the Philadelphia Museum of Art with a new friend, sharing some of our favorite works of art as a way to get to know each other. So we visited a few of my old “pals” — Cezanne’s Bathers, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Duchamp’s Nude Descending Staircase, the chapel-like room of Brancusi’s sculptures, and other works of art that are my current points of reference. These are among the artists whose pieces I visit when I need to be pulled outside myself, to find new paths into my own creativity.
“I crave the fellowship of artists, writers and all kinds of creative thinkers, the many who came before, as well as those who “walk” beside me. I need them almost as much as I need air and water and chocolate. The wonder of an exquisite painting, the pure sensuality of a joyous piece of music, an intriguing, well-crafted book, a dynamic conversation… it helps me see beyond my here and now, and inspires me to reach deeper and wider in my own work.
“But creativity and inspiration are everywhere, in the way we live, think and interact. All we have to do is seek it out. Often, I find it in an unexpected encounter, such as the chat I had the other day with a rather spirited woman who sat next to me on the bus. And sometimes it’s more structured and purposeful. For instance, the other week, I was having difficulty with a scene in my new novel. I found a way back to my initial inspiration for the book when I attended a lunchtime lecture on the author Toni Morrison at The Rosenbach library presented by Trapeta B. Mayson, Philadelphia’s poet laureate.
“One of my favorite sources is you… everyone I interact with, in person or virtually (via my blog, email and social media). Creativity can’t develop in a vacuum; we need the influence of each other’s perspectives and insights. What someone else sees in the crowds on Market Street can be as energizing as how Van Gogh saw a vase of sunflowers. So, please do share your ideas and visions with me [in the comments below or via the Contact page], and let us both be inspired by what evolves out of our fellowship.”
I’d be delighted to have you sign up to receive future newsletters. Of course, I will never share your contact information with anyone, and you can unsubscribe at any time.