I was lying in bed the other night and a narrative popped into my head. I have learned that when the words start to link in my mind or images start to appear not to wait until morning. I got out of bed, grabbed my laptop and started writing. It was 1 AM.
Notebook/Sketchbook Pouches - Beaded Celtic knots on leather (made by me!)
After the flow of word images started to ebb, I looked outside to see a rising waning crescent. Its curve was as red as the earth. I sometimes think I am merely a child of the Moon and she’ll have her way when she calls me.
I am naturally a nighthawk. I rarely go to bed before midnight and now that I live “central” it is technically an hour later than the late I have always done.
Everyone has a part of the day when they are most productive. I have two – one for painting and one for writing. I paint best between 2 and 10 pm. My writing time is in the wee hours – 11 pm to 2 am. I find as lay my head down on a cool pillow my mind starts to flow and the restrictions of a left brain day dissolve into memory and fantasy. Sometimes, I play music and it often molds the landscape my mind wanders. Words and images come.
Occasionally painting ideas arrive mixed in with the words. After reading an article by Keith Bond about writing your painting as a way of understanding what moves you to paint, I see I had this as a useful tool all along. Sometimes the images come first, sometimes the words, but for me, they are inextricably linked.
Red Rock Canyon - Work in Progress - © 2012 MIchelle Basic Hendry
The result of this little writing session was a 500 word creative non-fiction piece called “The Colour of Memory”. I plan to share it on the blog at some point. But not yet. It needs a painting.
In the meantime, I have been obsessed with the colour red. As per one of my New Year’s goals, I wanted to start keeping sketch/notebooks. I decided to make beaded leather pouches for them so that I don’t lose my Sharpie! The two at the top fit my 3.5×5.5″ Moleskine.
The work in progress at right is Red Rock Canyon. Many of you recognized the potential in one of the photos and so I have the underpainting on a 30×36 inch canvas. I am rusty, so it is slow going!
So when does inspiration come to you? Do you have best hours, best places, triggers?
Jennifer Rose
/ January 21, 2012I’m a nightowl, probably why i worked nights at timmys :p most of my ideas come to me between 11pm and 3am, so getting to sleep sometimes can be pretty hard with all the thoughts running around in my head.
those pouches are gorgeous
really nice bead work 
Michelle
/ January 21, 2012Thanks Jennifer Rose!
I thought I’d just do things an hour earlier moving here. It didn’t work out that way!
Kinsey Barnard
/ January 22, 2012My best, what I think are inspirations, come to me whilst I am wandering in the wilderness.
Very nice bead work!
Michelle
/ January 22, 2012Thanks, Kinsey!
Yes – the wilderness is the best inspiration. I find after a day in it, the feelings percolate down and erupt at night. Sometimes, I’ll return to a place the next day because something comes to the surface and I need to make the image a painting!
kaslkaos
/ January 26, 2012I can’t wait to see your next painting; thanks for the preview.
My best hours/place for inspiration (next to be outside and in the moment) is curled up in my bed, back against a giant pillow, with a dim 20watt bulb above. Here I have my my little blank atc’s, a sketchpad, a tablet computer (with keyboard) and get artwork, and writing done that has a much better character than anything I ever do at a desk or easel. Very strange, I guess.
Michelle
/ January 28, 2012Not strange at all! The more quirky, the more interesting….
Peter
/ January 27, 2012Greetings from Muskoka! Nice pouches, they should be great for celtic tarot cards as well.
My best inspirations are coming to me walking through the bush especially in the winter with snowshoes…but with a winter like this year it looks bad with the inspirations.
Michelle
/ January 28, 2012They would!
Yes! I love snowshoeing in the bush. I have come home with more than a few ideas… No snow for me this year either!
Arti
/ February 4, 2012Those notebook pouches look beautiful! I’m sure they’re practical too. I’d like to stay up late, and I used to, till 2 am some nights. I enjoy the quiet and the dark. I can only think when I’m totally alone and in silence. Your canyon work in progress looks wonderful. As you know, I’ve just been to the Grand Canyon, which is awe inspiring.
Michelle
/ February 5, 2012A fellow night hawk!
I can’t wait to visit the Grand Canyon. The work on Red Rock is slow, but coming.