A Shared Passion

There’s nothing quite like getting together with a group of people who share the same passion to unleash an abundance of inspiration.  This could be a group of gardeners, a group of artists or a group of musicians who share their knowledge and ideas.  I have the good fortune to be attending a class called ‘Using Colour’ at Emily Carr University.  At the very beginning of the class we were asked what we want to get out of the class.  Everyone gave their feedback – gain knowledge of colour mixing, get a foundation in colour theory, learn about the psychology behind colour, all very aligned to the goals of the class.  When the instructor came to the final student for her feedback, the student looked at the instructor with a big smile on her face and said “I just want to have fun”.  That set the tone for the class, and opened us up to laugh and have fun as we learned.  I’ve now completed 3 out of the 5 classes and I have to say, our wonderful group really bonded.  We laugh over our mistakes and celebrate our successes.  We share our ideas and inspire each other to produce our own, individual works of art.  By creating a fun environment, we free ourselves to explore and play.

There is inspiration in the everyday, as Kristin mentioned in her blog.  For me, that inspiration comes from spending time in my garden where I am surrounded by colour and light - purple and yellow irises growing against a backdrop of green, orange poppies like splashes of paint against the white backdrop of our garage, and hostas that shoot up spires of white flowers that attract the honey bees.  I am surrounded by nature, and inspired by its peace and beauty.

Curiosity and courage, as Mari wrote about in her blog post, also fosters inspiration.  For me, curiosity in my art – the need to experiment – inspires me.  Who knows what can be produced with a little creativity and experimentation.  Some of my best work has come out of curiosity – what happens if . . . . . ?

As Tara wrote, magic happens when people connect.  This magic happened for me in my class.  I may not ever connect with this group of people again after this class, but at this moment in our lives, we are sharing our passion and friendship, and we are taking the opportunity to inspire each other and explore new possibilities.

So go out and surround yourself with the beauty of your community, be curious, connect with people and follow your passion.  Let the energy surround you and create a state of inspiration for yourself.

Happy Canada Day everyone!

Virginia