Sourcing Inspiration- Allison Senak

This reading gave me a great deal to think about in terms of where my own inspiration comes from for my art. To think of my external influences is easy enough, but pinning down what inspires my work internally takes some more time and deeper thinking. The introduction definitely broke it down in a way that made the concept easier to understand and helped me identify with certain modes of internal inspiration. In particular, I found the ideas of relying on happenstance and the use of nothingness as methods that I have used without even being totally aware of it. So while I initially thought going into the reading that the majority of my inspiration is external, it turns out that I use internal sourcing to a greater extent than I have been aware of thus far.
The artists covered showed specific examples of how internal sourcing can manifest in a variety of ways. Jan Harrison’s method seemed a bit esoteric to me, but I connected with Pipilotti Rist’s use of personal experience and hardship as a catalyst for creating work. I also appreciated Julian LaVerdiere’s ability to remain in a constant mental state of inspiration and cultivate curiosity through his work. While I have been in this kind of state of inspiration in the past, it’s something I feel I’ve lost in recent years and would like to work on getting back over the course of this year.