Inhalation Therapy

inhale...exhale

While I do have a rescue inhaler, that’s not what I’m writing about today. I’m talking about a different, long-term, life-enhancing form of inhalation therapy. Read on.

The act of inhaling writing [and art] from others helps me to exhale my own.
Sean Tucker

I had to add art to make these wise words more personally accurate. My ideas come from reading and viewing art - from Virginia Wolff and Julia Margaret Cameron to Tracey Emin, from Renaissance to Rothko and Rick Rubin, to Instagram and British home dec magazines, and most anything in between (don’t forget rust and old buildings and beautiful fall leaves glistening in the sun). Who am I kidding? Everything inspires me. I am a sponge, or rather a coffee pot, percolating ideas, color, concepts, and composition all day, every day. Last week, my cardiologist commented that I am so calm, but then, oddly (intuitively?) enough, she paused and added, “at least on the outside.” So true, so true. My mind and art energy are always racing.

Tracey Emin, Appliqued Blanket, 2002 + Mark Rothko, #61 Rust and Blue, 1953

In order to exhale, you must first inhale. In order to exhale art, you must first saturate your art lungs. Unlike our body’s lung capacity, your art lung capacity is bottomless and infinite, just like the infinite supply and sources of art. You need deep breaths of art imagery, ideas, and inspiration to create art, just like your blood needs oxygen to operate your body. You can even do two things at once - get fresh oxygen and improve your body while walking outside and seeing how many examples of art you can find. There is an endless supply for us to inhale, from micro to macro, natural to man-made, rust to ribbons, reflections, rivers, railroads, rabbits, rocks, and rubbish.

You can do the same at home. Not just on your phone, tablet, laptop or TV. Run your eyes over every surface, nook, and niche. Find the colors, patterns, balance lines and texture you’ve chosen to surround yourself with. How does or can that translate into your art?

Art is there for the taking. Inhale it. Then, exhale it in the making.

PS. I’m off to teach two workshops and give a lecture at the Houston Quilt Festival next weekend. There’s 1 spot left in the Fabric Altered Book class and just a few in Fragment Fabric Collage. Maybe I’ll see some of you there!

Quotes of the Week

Breathe-in experience, breathe-out poetry.
Muriel Rukeyser

Listen - are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?
Mary Oliver