inhale
(the act of breathing in)
(the act of breathing in)
guiding light, example, model, muse, motivation, encouragement, influence, spur, stimulus, lift, boost, incentive, impulse, catalyst, vision; eureka moment
creativity, inventiveness, innovation, ingenuity, genius, imagination, originality; insight, bright idea, revelation, flash; informal brainwave, flair, brainstorm
I often use the word inspiration or inspire in my blog and in my Masters Thesis. I was asked the other day, by my supervisor Liz: What the word meant to me. I am going to try to answer that with this post, not directly but rather by way of exploration of some random impressions that come immediately to mind. I suppose if I did this blog post tomorrow_ it would be different, I like that, I like the fluidity or organic-ness(ness) (as Bwalya would say) of creative thought and ideas. I think that is characteristic of 'inspiration': open -ended, flexible, flowing, seamless...
So this is how I am inspired...
---> Interactions with 'cyberspace' inspire me... movement and connections...
Paulo (now in 2nd year) sent me this video last year... take a look buka lapha
---> I am inspired by discovering more about something...
The Mac dictionary gave me more insight into the words inspire/inspiration.
To inspire someone: one fills someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something • this creates a positive feeling in a person and animates and influences that person because of that feeling.
---> language and art_ the play on words and poetic metaphors inspire me...
Below is my personal Mantra used in 2009/2010. I used these slides as an introduction to first years, outlining my lecturing practice and beliefs. I use 3 words as a mantra: seek/to/inspire. The works of MC Esher intrigue me as remind me to be open to transformations...
---> I am a collector & sentimentalist of objects that house memories. I am nostalgic about times, places and people and the reminded experiences...
- Hologram of 'Madiba' bought from a street vendor in Argyle road_ R30
- Brown and White 'Huletts' sugar packets with quote on by famous people_ 'borrowed' from various coffee shops around Durban_free
- Pegs that are symbolically arranged to mimic the South African flag, bought from Pick 'n Pay_ R15
- Blond 'winking Barbie'_ bought in Amsterdam Market_ R6
- Drawing from Adam Bond's journal given to me as a gift_ free
- My old external harddrive that crashed_ memories and data from 2006 - 2009_ stored in this small hard device as opposed to my soft spongy brain_ R2000 to replace.
- My first flash-stick_ 256mb_ cost R700
- Photograph of students from 2007/8_
- Blurry photographs of my son Sebastian when he was three. he is now 11. These photographs should have most properly been thrown away because of their 'quality'. I love their blurriness as they look more like paintings_ more mysterious captured expressions of my son.
- Notes passed under my door from students explaining their absence.
- Drawings from my son.
- A photograph I took at Ushaka Marine World of sea anemones_ I was intrigued by the pink colour and the flower/flesh-like connotations of that_ 'breathing' underwater_ osmosisPINK?
- Beautiful cards for my 40th.
- Print of a Henri Cartier Bresson image that I love. I 'Googled' it, downloaded it off the internet and printed photographically_ this technique questions the photographic process and raises issues of originality and authorship_ the power of pixels? This photograph also reminds me to look beyond the frame. The 'implied' movement created by the cyclist and the spiral formed by the stairs 'defies' the rectangular quality and corners suggested by a viewfinder or frame.
- Triptych of photographs that I found at the Rustic market, Durban North. They have sound... ones eyes become ears
- Certificate I received for a Photographic course I attended_ Joey and Vernon were instructors.
- Tinted image of a baby I bought from the Car Boot Market for _ R5_ I think some of Susan Sontag's writings. I think of the subject, the baby, who the baby is as it smiles sweetly back at me. I think of the baby's life after this photograph was taken, is he/she still alive. I think of how photographs are not just memories and historical documentations of time and place but questions about past and present.
- Motivational quote by mentor Professor Joan Conolly, pulled from a basket of quotes she offered everyone on her retirement from teaching for over 45 years.
- Large ominous black plastic rat to chase away cats. Bought by my nephew Daniel for Halloween from a Party Shop.
- I asked the crafters at Avonmore Spar to bead the 'inspire' lettering for me.
---> I like to question_ unpack_ learn from other perspectives... so please:
- Tell me about a recent experience that inspired you?
- Where do you feel inspiration?
- What do you do with inspiration?
☕
While I was reading the two collections of words toward the top of the post - muse, lift, impulse, imagination, insight etc - I immediately thought of a previous post: slam poet Dikson Slamajamjar's 'Limbo'. As one reads the two paragraphs, speed is built and a flow starts to develope, much like that of the poet in the video. I found the words of the poet very thought provoking and inspirational, and they have been brought back by this, again, inspirational post.
ReplyDeleteA full circle of inspiration, of sorts.
I get inspired by seeing different things and people of all walks of life. So that how i gain all my inspiration from ukubona the life in somebodies life!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with your inspiration?
ReplyDeleteThis is something that I have recently asked myself while completing an essay for our Visual Communication Module. The essay was on artists that inspire us and as I thought of ways to verbalise the feeling of inspiration I realised that it is an entity unto itself and it doesn't just end because you've found it.
It is quite like energy in that it does not dissipate. It is merely transferred from one body to another. You find your inspiration, you depict it in your work and that in turn inspires whomever may see it. And the cycle starts all over again.