Dear friends,
I hope this newsletter finds you well.
Not to brag but, I think my decision to take Saturdays off from posting was a good call and one that will benefit this project going forward. One thing I have learned about maintaining a consistent creative practice is that I have to consciously take time to “fill the well”. Or as Jack London famously said, “You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
One rich source of inspiration for me that I have been indulging myself in lately is my interest in art history. I am halfway through binge watching the BBC Documentary series, “Fake or Fortune?” which investigates attributions of notable artworks, imparting knowledge of art, history and the workings of the “art world” in the process.
This inspired a weekend project of revisiting and reorganizing my collection of Art books which, as you can see from the photo at the top of this post, my cat Vanessa Bell helped me with. Yes, it’s true, I really do rearrange books for fun! (Speaking of which, I made a video for my poem, “Cat Lady Waltz” which you can find on my YouTube Channel.)
I don’t know exactly how any of this will inspire my poetry but I do know it is nearly impossible to to learn about people who dedicated their lives to artistic pursuits without feeling inspired to create something myself. Or, as a saying that is often attributed to Albert Einstein goes, “Creativity is contagious.” Al may or may not have really said that, but it is certainly true.
What inspires you? Let me know by leaving a comment or replying to the email version of this newsletter (subscribe to receive emails of my posts if you haven’t already).
As grateful as I am for the inspiration of artists past and future, I am even more grateful, inspired and motivated by the support and encouragement that you, my faithful readers, provide. I can’t thank you enough.
Peace, Love and Art,
Victoria
PS: Find the videos for the songs that inspire my newsletters on the Newsletter Title Songs Playlist on my YouTube channel.
More inspiration in this newsletter for paid subscribers included below:
Inspiration and Meaning: Bittersweet
My reading of a poem by Mary Oliver