First of all, let me tell you that you need to pay attention to those airline emails with airfare deals on specific dates. This isn’t a travel blog, but I was able to book a roundtrip flight to Paris for less than $200 and 30,000 miles. PSA over, now to the good stuff.
Everyone Copies Everyone Else
I will never advocate for ripping off another artist’s worth. However, the older I get, the more I see the world, I’m hit over the head with how all artists, designers, craftsmen, and architects steal from each other. Visit Edinburgh and you’ll see influences of Gothic styles from France. Visit Paris and you’ll see influences of classic Greek and Roman styles with massive columns and idealized statues. And as an American from the U.S., visit any church, state, or federal building and see what we borrowed from everywhere else. That’s just the architecture. My point is, artists are influenced by everything around us and our ideas are never wholly original. Don’t let that depress you. It’s an opportunity to go and see the art, people, and places that fill you with awe. The culmination of it all is how you make your stamp in the world without just creating a cheap imitation (ahem, AI).
Creators Are the Backbone of Every Society
If you make things, you have a superpower. You don’t have to be a high-concept artist or lofty goals to be a true creator. And oftentimes the people with the most power or money may appreciate the outcomes of your creativity without actually appreciating you. Wow, this post was not meant to be about AI, but it’s quite literally flowing from my fingertips as I write this — I spent a lot of time learning about the French Revolution. Visiting the Palace at Versailles and estates filled me with awe and appreciation for the artisans that created every inch of gilded detail and painted molding.
Part of my trip included a few days in Lyon, another city built by artisans. Lyon was the center of the silk industry and I was able to take a tour of one of the last working silk printing studios, Brochier Soieries. The amount of detail and care that goes into making rich silks was enough to sustain the town for a time.
Pairing that with history museums and a tour led by a French history professor, I was reminded how precious of a gift and skill it is to actually create. And how often those gifts and labor are exploited. I could go on, but I will leave you with this. Do not undervalue yourself or your work, because it only hurts you and other creatives. Versailles wasn’t built by the king.
You Don’t Have To Be Everyone’s Cup of Tea
You already know this and have heard it many times over. I don’t think it can be said enough. I’m saying this to myself too because we all feel like failures from time to time. I soaked in as much art as I could, visiting museums like the Louvre and Musee D’Orsay, books stores, art shops, and flea markets. What they all have in common is variety. You don’t have to leave your country to remember this either. Visit any art museum, browse the art section of your library, search art history archives online. The depth and breadth of art in the world should be a comforting reminder: You don’t have to like everything and not everyone has to like what you make. But someone out there will.
Inspiration Can Be Simple
One of the highlights of my trip was visiting La Galerie Dior. It was a magical display of Christian Dior’s designs, artistic process, and workspace. Throughout the museum, his quotes are peppered along the walls. I was struck by the simplicity of where he found inspiration. As an artist, I’ve felt the pressure to dig deep and search high and low for that elusive noun. He talked about spending time in his mother’s garden and finding inspiration among the flowers. So simple. Not groundbreaking. Flowers and nature have been inspiring artists for thousands of years. If they’re good enough for Dior, they’re good enough for me.
So what inspires you? Don’t worry about it being overdone. You’re probably already critical of yourself so focus on what you enjoy and the more you explore your inspiration, you’ll eventually uncover new layers and find your own take on it.
