I struggle with finding inspiration sometimes. I'm struggling with it currently, actually. Artist’s block is my biggest struggle every handful of months, and I figured if I wrote a lil diddy about how I tune into my artsy vibes, it would give me that push over the edge that I need to finally hurdle over this obstacle and maybe give you some insight on how to tune into your artsy vibes.

For the past few months, all I’ve thought about is reinspiring myself. Over the summer, all I did was work forty-five to fifty hours a week at my local Chick-fil-A. When was there time for inspiration? The past few weeks, I've sat pretty stationary: a few friendly hang outs here and there, afternoons spent shopping, days in class… the rest of those hours have been spent torturously sitting in various rooms, either back home or at school. At school, I have almost no time for artsy creations. Your favorite artsy civil engineer has way too much homework to be doing artsy things. At home, I have a studio filled with paint, brushes, canvas, a sewing machine, piles of fabric, markers, and stickers galore and during times of intense artist's block, I just stare at my computer screen, maybe sing a few tunes, and stare at the wall… just thinking about my next project.

And that’s the issue. Last month I was moving around so much. This month I haven’t moved but to three places: from my bed, to my desk, to class, to the study lounge in my building, and back to my bed again, with the occasional weekend trip home. I was traveling a lot during the summer months. Constant movement keeps me alive. Constant new sights keep me sane.

I guess what I’m trying to say is 1) travel inspires me. Seeing new things helps me develop new ideas that influence my art.

So as I write this article, trying so hard to not think about my next trip out of the lone star state, I’m sitting at my drafter’s table refraining from staring at my white wall. There’s only two pieces of paper taped right in the middle of it. They’re doodles from a friend at school last year who I kind-of strive to be like artistically. They are one of the few people in this world who make me want to be a better artist. Why? I feel like they’re pretty confident in their art—even in their doodles. My doodles are awful. I can’t even doodle. I’m not the greatest drawer anyway, if we’re being honest here; but, here is my problem, the root of all my evils: everyone else’s art is so much cooler than what I do. I’m always putting my own art down. I barely even call my “art”, art. I just call it “stuff I do in my free time”. I don’t even call myself an artist, to be honest. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one for labels—that’s another article for another day—but as an artist, I should be able to call myself as such. So, I leave those doodles on the wall as inspiration. They've helped me become more confident in all my art forms. The person who drew those doodles inspires me.

Long story short, 2) people inspire me. The people I’m closest with all have cool things that they do and they call themselves musicians, singers, artists, etc., and if they can appreciate their art and label themselves as musicians and artists and such, then I should be able to appreciate and be proud of my art as well and call myself an artist.

Not only am I just sitting at my studio desk, but I’m refraining from standing up to move around and dance. Currently, I’m listening to Strawberry Girls (this really cool instrumental aggressive groove-rock band) and I just want to dance around like an idiot.

3) Music inspires me; but, certain types of music (because I'm not a country gal). I’m really into genres like math rock, psychedelic rock, old school hip-hop, some current rappers (especially Kendrick and Drake), folk punk, and a few “emo” and post-hardcore bands. A lot of the bands I listen to have really powerful lyrics that I can relate to and it helps me cope with the issues I’ve been through or are currently trying to get through. I always listen to music when I’m painting, sewing, drawing, writing, etc., but especially loud when I paint. My paintings took a turn one night when I was sitting in the studio at 2am. I was trying to move away from a more traditional style of painting, because in public school low level art classes you don’t really have very much artistic freedom (especially since my drawing teacher treated me like I was five). So, I said screw everything I’ve learned thus far, I’m going to paint the way that I want to paint.

I painted how music made me feel… or what music made me see, really. I associate a lot of colors with sounds and feelings, or even things that happen. Everything is associated with a color for me. Very logical people think I’m crazy (or not of sane mind) when I describe this thing I just naturally do. I thought it was normal for the longest, so I didn’t think much of it; but, it’s apparently this disorder called synesthesia. It’s the entwinement of senses. I hear colors, or whatever? I paint along to songs that inspire me. When I found out about this term, I googled it immediately. I found this article on Pitchfork by Ryan Dombal in 2014 titled, “What the Hell is Synesthesia and Why Does Every Musician Seem to Have It?” in it, this paragraph really struck me:

So what do sound-color synesthetes actually, you know, see when they hear music? Well, it depends; each synesthete has a unique color palette with unique triggers, and the colors and types of sense associations are always in flux. for steen, the empty rumble of an 18 wheeler hitting potholes outside of her apartment sends up a black and white and orange static pattern in front of her eyes. "We see it in our mind's eye," she says, "and the colors are not the colors of pigment, but rather the colors you see on your computer screen, the colors of light. They're bright.”

And I’m the same way. I always have trouble explaining this to others when they ask me how I paint and this is the perfect way to describe it.

All in all, I hope from reading this you take what I had to say and apply it to your creative process? Basically, go on a cool trip somewhere, surround yourself with visionaries and listen to some cool tunes. Let me know how it goes.