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Wednesday, March 27, 2019

by Diane Widler Wenzel: What time of day does art inspiration and creativity peak?

Morning is my peak time for inspiration just as I am waking up, the most imaginative solutions occur to me. Like a couple of days ago I visualized what to write in this blog.

Half awake and half asleep poetry crossed my mind. Remembering one late afternoons last week out in back of us across the fields the trees were veiled in a transparent white swirl that came ttowards me. Smoke from a fire? Going outside to see where the smoke was coming, I did not smell smoke. Only ozone's scent!  I heard a steady beating on dry leaves. I felt a few drops of moisture before the hail and rain stopped at our garden's edge and then silence.  All was fresh and more saturated in greens than before.
 Tuesday morning was a sunny day for a ride to Newport. Fog snaking between hills inspired me to take pictures. Many willows made early spring colorful with Naples yellow thickets near by crimson tipped branches of Naples yellow light. The pussy willows are in their full bloom.The alder tassels hang from bare limbs.  Log and gravel trucks frequented the road from all directions. 
 
Just at the top of the grade in Newport we saw the ocean. 
 
 
Crossing the Newport Yaquina Bridge and its gothic inspiration tricks the lens to recording the cement with the appearance of metal as we drive across. We only stayed long enough to trade boat props for one that would troll slower for fishing. We hurried back to Albany to go break in the new motor at Freeway Lakes. We spotted wildlife and the dock was busy with fishermen since trout was released while we were there. But the lighting in the morning is more inspiring. And painting more satisfying even then the colorful sunsets. There is a little more time to paint in the morning then during a darkening sunset.
 

7 comments:

Rain Trueax said...

Looks like a pretty day to be on the Coast. I think my time for creativity varies with no set beginning or end. I do like to spend a few moments remembering dreams when i first get up. The other night it was a talking rabbit :)

Diane Widler Wenzel said...

Rain,
I usually wake up early but do not want to wake my husband, or get up in the cold. That is when I like to rehearse in my head creative solutions. But the real creativity is when I am actually painting. Being a morning person, morning is when I paint and my creativity peaks.
I remember when we were in Tucson and I would have coffee with you before painting. Our little social also stimulated my creativity. I miss those times.

Rain Trueax said...

I do too. It was a good time.

I am a morning person too and up before 5, sometimes earlier. I get up though even if Paul sleeps in some. This morning though we both got up at 5. I dreamed of a rabbit again but it didn't talk ;)

Diane Widler Wenzel said...

I dreamt also and I know I was enjoying it but do not have a clear memory of the content. We have a Cooper’s hawk visiting our bird feeders every morning. This morning no birds at all.

Annie said...

I admire you both for the creative work that you do.

Diane Widler Wenzel said...

Thank you Annie,
But of course often life gets in the way of practicing the craft leading to a little depression. The depression of the desire to start with full on involvement wavers. Rather than taking on an ambitious new work, the easier path is to revise old ones. I feel like I already have too many unfinished paintings. Sometimes small changes in old paintings melts into new directions. Old paintigns are transformed into new completely different paintings.
At this time framing last years 14'x 11" watercolors finished with acrylic is taking away from painting flow. Also since cataract surgery there are passages in my paintings I want to change.
What I need to do is get some newsprint paper, ink and brush and do some flow of consciousness paintings. This is like what Natalie Goldberg, WRITING DOWN THE BONES prescribed for writers. Every morning spend time writing whatever pops into your mind.

Diane Widler Wenzel said...

I need to add that wet flow and dry periods are all part of the cycle of being truely creative. It is good to collect a stach of ideas that are on incubation. I am going to go for a collecting journey - a walk around the block this beautiful morning.