INSPIRATION Rx | GESTURE

Inspiration Rx Gesture Photo by Deb Schwedhelm

“Not one word, not one gesture of yours shall I, could I, ever forget…”

Inspiration Rx : This series is a remedy for blank walls, sparse reading lists, & creative ruts.

This week’s prompt: Gesture

How do we feel when someone reaches for our hand, sneaks a conspiratorial wink, or extends an unexpected gift? Gestures, those unspoken ways we communicate with each other, can carry just as much emotional weight, if not more than spoken words. Chances are you’ve even developed a short-hand gesture system with close loved ones – approval, disapproval, honey please close the door – all with a raised eyebrow or a flick of the wrist. What can you say with a simple gesture? It doesn’t have to be a physical gesture, a symbolic gesture such as a gesture of kindness or friendship will work as well.  (I’m sure this goes without saying, but we’ll need to keep our gestures clean of course!)

Before you plan your project, it may be helpful to study our featured image for a moment. Themes of love, support, & unity shine through as clear as day using the very simple gesture of hands reaching toward one another. Try to communicate something specific to us through your chosen gesture. A tip for visual artists who are focusing on a physical gesture, is to keep your background simple & clean & let the gesture do the talking. For those who are writing this week, you are welcome to imagine the characters & story of the image above, as long as you address the powerful gesture!

Many of you were moved by color this week! Stephanie’s pretty watercolor brightened our day, Melinda spotted the perfect shade of grey-blue in Peru, & Carmen picked up her brushes & turned her camera into her subject!

Feeling Inspired?

The door is open if you’d like to join in! Catching up on previous prompts is fine by us. Just to keep things fair, please limit time spent on each prompt to 1 week. You have until next Tuesday to share your creations.

Options for Sharing

Instagram / Twitter : use hashtag #INSPIRATIONRX

Your Blog / Flickr / Pinterest :  please share a link in the comment section of this post.

For an invitation to our group Pinterest board, please leave a link to your Pinterest account in the comments, or email for an invite. *We need to be follow friends on Pinterest in order to get you an invite to the board (we have to follow at least 1 of your boards & you need to follow at least 1 of ours). Remember you can still participate by using the hashtag on Instagram & Twitter or posting a link in the comments of this post.

**Please Note: the group Pinterest board is for your creations only.  If your pin does not reference your work, we will have to remove it. We want your work to be the star!

photo: © Deb Schwedhelm

passage: © Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Piqued your interest?

Deb Schwedhelm, our featured artist this week, is has a solo show up in Lexington, Virginia – open until this Saturday 9.28.13. If you go, please tell me all about it! Also, if you are interested in Fine Art Photography, I recommend stopping by Deb’s blog to read her generous & insightful blog post detailing her first portfolio review experience. Want more? Sign up for her online workshop!

Dancers speak volumes with their bodies alone. Could there be a more appropriate artistic tribute to gesture?

Ailey Ascending: A Portrait in Motion

Modern Gestures: Abraham Walkowitz Draws Isadora Duncan Dancing

Breaking Bounds: The Dance Photography of Lois Greenfield

Author / Miss Michelle P.

Miss Michelle P. is a photographer, designer and co-professor for Souvenir Foto School. She lives in the Pacific Northwest. Her muse is light.

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4 thoughts on “INSPIRATION Rx | GESTURE

    1. Hi Henna!
      I just sent the invite. Putting your work out there does take some courage, but don’t worry – everyone in the group is very supportive & so kind to each other! Happy to have you join in. :)

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