Anyone who has felt the urge to create something (And I think that’s all of us, right?) knows that it can be an undeniable force, like hunger or love. We make our art because something inside us needs to come out, to engage with the world.
All the same, none of us lives in isolation from others, and our artwork is inspired by the people in our lives. Maybe it’s grown out of a conversation, or comes in response to something someone has written or made. Sometimes a person can inspire art simply by being who they are. All of my books have been dedicated to particular children in my life, both as a gift to them and as a token of my gratitude for their presence in my life.
And this is why it was so touching to hear from a dear friend of mine telling me how enchanted his grandson is with Commonplace Mouse and Commonplace Birthday. Apparently every night for nearly a year now he's plucked the books off the shelf and climbed into an easy chair to enjoy them. Even though he can't yet read, he enters the world of Minikin and Belinda simply by turning the pages and losing himself in the pictures.
Receiving a message like this kind of floors me. Not because I feel proud that my art is being seen and enjoyed, but because I know how that little boy feels. Every one of us was inspired by some kind of art as a child, be it a storybook, a piece of music, a movie, or a play. And to me it’s a great honor to watch a child grow up being inspired, and to know I have a place in the ongoing exchange of inspiration.
Who are the people that inspire your art, either through their own work or just by being in your life?
1 comment:
Thank you for this blog. It is so funny I just sit down and go right to your blog this morning read what you wrtoe. Then I ask myself the question and think of John, Ulla, Alice Lynn and these are people that inspire me the whole Castle in The Air shop inspire me. Thank you for your imagination and generosity to share the dream. I am deeply grateful.
Toy
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