INSPIRATION Rx

saatchi online miriam sweeney besotted blog

“She is already in the future, somewhere she can only dimly imagine, but it is very different from what she has known.”

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

Do you find yourself stumped for new ideas as a creative writer, visual artist, or blogger who creates original content? Often, the hardest part of beginning a project is simply finding a place to start. An entire world full of endless possibilities can be overwhelming, hobbling our creativity before it even begins. Tristan and I want to remove that obstacle by supplying you with weekly prompts that will jumpstart your imagination. It’s going to be up to you to translate the assignment each week into your own voice (no outright copying please), & put it out into the world in the form of an image, passage, or blog post (or all three). This does not have to be gallery-level art or the next great American novel! Anyone & everyone of any level can participate. Jump in, be diligent, be BRAVE!  Most of all, as we tell our Souvenir Foto School students, be kind (to yourself as well as others). Remember – creativity is a fickle beast, sometimes it works sometimes it flops, sometimes you are just on the bridge to your next good idea. *Maybe you don’t care to embark on a visual art or writing project? We are hoping you’ll still be inspired by discovering new art for your walls, new books for your Kindle, & maybe a few new creative people to cheer for.

So let’s begin at the beginning! Our prompt for this week is: Emerging.

How I would love to have this powerful horse bursting through one of my walls! She seems brave and strong, she has a story to tell: leaping out of the foggy unknown, coming into clear focus, & embarking on a new adventure (just like us, right?). For this week, in addition to emerging, you may want to consider the inherent mystery of partially obscured objects, faces, & details. Subject/Setting possibilities could include:  kiddos just waking up, anything or anyone coming out of water, flowers blooming, food coming from the oven, sunrise, breakfast etc. If you are writing, try to think of the senses & how they are associated with these scenarios. Try to keep a sense of mystery & draw us into your story with little breadcrumbs.

On a special note: I am more than honored that Tristan is allowing me to share my ideas on creativity with you. She has the highest standards and adores each & every one of you. I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do myself, so I plan on interpreting the assignment and posting the results to my Instagram and our shared Pinterest board every week (leave your Pinterest handle in the comments and we will get you an invite). I hope you’ll join in and help make Miss B proud!

Feeling Inspired?

You will have 1 week to create something & share the results.  We can’t wait to see what you come up with! Be on the lookout for links to a few of our favorites every week.

Options for Sharing:

Instagram / Twitter : use hashtag #INSPIRATIONRX

Your Blog / Pinterest (we will have a group board just email for an invite) / Flickr: please share a link in the comment section of this post.

Piqued your interest?

Writer’s Tip: My favorite thing about a new writing project is treating myself to a fresh journal & a pen with some heft to it.

Photographer’s Tip: adding a couple drops of milk to water will make it sufficiently murky. Just find a meaningful object, partially submerge & you’ve got your shot!

Concerned about translating inspirational pieces into your own voice? Check out Austin Kleon’s take in his Tedx Talk and book Steal Like an Artist.

photo: Subversion © Mariam Sweeney

passage: The Madonnas of Leningrad © Debra Dean

P.S. If you haven’t been there yet Saatchi online is a goldmine resource for inspiration and beautiful artworks for your abode (both originals and prints!), we highly recommend bookmarking them!

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.

35 thoughts on “INSPIRATION Rx

  1. Well, I am almost speechless and so thrilled at the same time. What a brilliant idea and inspiration you have created here. This morning when I woke I had what some would call a block, I call it a constant pause within. I took a long walk to see what would come, if anything. I got what I needed, it just came in a different package than I was expecting. Emerging is a wonderful word filled with so many possibilities and excitement. Funny thing, I am going to visit my horses in Northern Germany tomorrow and I am sure there will be some emerging moments to capture. Many many thanks for all you do. Jocelyn xx

    1. Jocelyn thank YOU for the comment, it warms our heart to know this came in handy! Leave your Pinterest handle and we will send you the invite to add your image or prose to the group Pin board. We know from experience with our Souvenir Foto School that being surrounded by other creatives working on a like minded project really pushes us to raise the bar and makes us accountable. We have seen legions of students improve before our eyes and have gone on to great success, we are really excited about this!

    1. Thank you Jocelyn! I couldn’t have done this without dear Michelle, this is a total collaborative project, you see what goodness comes out of collaboration? I am already motivated to shoot myself and I have been feeling quite rutty lately:)

  2. well, if this isn’t the most innovative and generous offering of you two and (personally) the most timely thing ever! opportunities to grow seem to be popping up everywhere for me as i’ve just completed my first calligraphy job for a wedding, my first custom lettering job for an art piece that is getting framed for someone’s home, and my first tattoo design for a sweet girl who is getting married in two weeks! i think it’s about time i start a blog or portfolio of some sort and now is as good a time as any!! especially when i can begin at the beginning with Michelle P and Tristan B!! i’m not quite sure which direction i’ll be taking this just yet, but i’m excited to do SOMETHING! i may be lettering a quote or two, inspired by your prompts!! yes!!

    here is my pinterest link: http://pinterest.com/tapinterest/.

    1. Torrie, I couldn’t be more proud of you! A HUGE congrats! I would LOVE to see your work on the board! I think that would be inspiring for anyone;)

  3. Hi Michelle and Tristan – I absolutely love this new series! Such a truly wonderful idea – I was inspired just reading this, and am excited to participate! I love that “emerging” is the first prompt – Will do my best. :) I am not on Pinterest so will likely just contribute on Instagram (@roomforhappy) and/or on my blog. Can’t wait to see what everyone who is participating comes up with, as well – I love checking out new blogs, Instagrammers etc. so I’m super excited to get connected with others, too!

  4. What timing! I just received my new dslr at my doorstep today (and am so intimidated by it that I haven’t even taken it out of the box). I am going to use this beautiful series as a motivator to learn and master my newest challenge. I would love to be a part of this creative collaboration! http://pinterest.com/skrouse1/

    1. Hi Jaime! Keep an eye out on your Pinterest notifications, it’s in the upper right hand corner near your name on the Pinterest screen. I have had a bear of time adding people for some reason, but Michelle is on it, we have been able to get most into the group!

  5. Thanks so much for this Tristan and Michelle!!
    As soon as I read this post last week I immediately got inspired!! Also, what a great way to build community! :)
    I shot a whole bunch of pics on film and digital this past weekend, including shots with my cell phone. But I have no computer at home and it is totally driving me nuts, not sure when I’ll be able to upload them!! In the mean time, my pinterest is: http://pinterest.com/carmenlovely/ hopefully I’ll use one of my cell phone pics to start with…
    Btw, Tristan, thanks for recommending Jessica of the Oblique Pen. I will look into it when I get a chance!

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