An unusual place to get artistic inspiration.

Michelle, a Great Unlearning reader from Colorado asks, “Where do you find the inspiration for your amazing self-portraits?”

I get inspired a bunch of different ways, Michelle, (like from something someone says, something I read in a book, a dream, or something I see in nature), but there is one sure fire thing I do which always renders a good result. It’s kind of weird and was quite unexpected when it was first happening.

Spin class on Monday mornings is my fertile ground for inspiration for the images I’ve been creating lately. Crazy right? After I get all settled on the bike and the music starts thumping, I ask my creative self to give me an image based on a theme I brought with me.

For example, recently I wanted to create a piece to represent this current time in my life where the physical signs of aging are no longer deniable. I also wanted it to celebrate my physical and emotional strength, wisdom, and creativity.

Within minutes of my heart rate reaching a satisfying aerobic state, an image started to emerge in my mind of me standing in the shallows of a turbulent ocean with waves crashing over me from behind as I stood fierce and relaxed. Over the next hour, all the details about the image were shown to me in my mind’s eye.

I went home, jotted down everything that came to me, drew out a rough sketch, and photographed myself out on my back porch. I don’t have a fancy photography studio, I photograph myself in different places around my house or out in nature.

The image that came to me in spin that day is called “Undeniable” and I posted it September 26, 2022 on my BLOG along with some interesting reflections about aging. I am so happy the way it turned out, it’s one of my favorites and is quite meaningful to me.