FAQ: How do you come up with ideas for your art?

Recently, I’ve been asked several variations of the question,“How do you come up with ideas for your art?” 

I’ve consistently found that I must make my way to new work and that my best ideas often spring from pieces made in the past. For instance, the artwork in the image at the top of this post in one of several new pieces inspired by this piece which I finished last spring: 

Museums, art history, travel, libraries, and fashion are also places where I find inspiration. It’s often a small thing that catches my attention, like the color palette in a vintage dress, or a line from a botany book. It simmers in the back of my mind until I’ve figured out how to translate it into a work of art. 

This book inspired an idea for a new piece.

This photo was taken at the Rodin museum in Paris. I took many photos of grillwork, plasterwork, and architecture.

So long story short, my advice to emerging artists is (1) to carefully observe the world and document those observations in photos, notes, or sketches and (2) make a lot of art. You’ll love some of it and hate some of it but the pieces you don’t like will lead you to pieces you do and help you find your own unique voice as an artist.