How do you cultivate and nourish your creative self?

I like to keep my art materials readily available. A set of paints set out on my drawing table invites me to pause and play. Invariably, play leads to ideas and taps into the creative mindset. For many, simply starting a creative project is the hardest part. Then, once involved in the process and flow of making and doing, the hardest thing can be stopping.

Another way I keep my creative mindset fresh is to get out and visit galleries, museums, and shows. Wandering a bookstore, visiting a little town I’ve never seen before, taking a walk, reading a book…there are many things that can prompt an idea. Being open to connections from seemingly unrelated sources can lead to some delightful and insightful surprises.

Recently I visited a gorgeous exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine. The exhibition features the work of N.C. Wyeth, an artist whose work I have long admired. An illustrator from the golden age of picture books, and a student of Howard Pyle, his paintings are dynamic with outstanding draughtsmanship and wonderful storytelling capacities. If you live anywhere close, I highly recommend it. The exhibition continues through January 12, 2020. Here is a link for more information: https://www.portlandmuseum.org/exhibitions/nc-wyeth