Nurturing Creativity-Part I

Nurturing creativity is a big job but I am up for it! For me, it's not as simple as walking into the studio and picking up a paint brush. My whole life needs to be about living full out passionately and creatively as a way to feed my heart and soul.  Hopefully, that focus translates to what I create in my studio.

Thinking back on the past few days of what fed my creativity I noticed these are some of the things that brought inspiration to me:


Dancing. There is always dancing before dipping my brush into paint.  I also had a ton of fun dancing and drumming this weekend at our Co-housing Community's Annual Feast Day.

Doodling and sketching. I think I have always had a writing instrument in my hand since birth. It helps the old ADD situation to scribble while attempting to concentrate!

 
Life Drawing Group is a a new found lifeline.for me. It's so very different from the work I do professionally. It truly creates new openings in my brain that make things flow a bit easier when I hit that canvas with cold wax! I LOVE it!

The Artist's Way. Huge topic but something that has helped me uncover my creativity and feeds my spirituality beyond measure. I have participated in many groups, facilitated some and even attended one led my Julia Cameron herself.  The entire process is a lifestyle for me that I recommend to anyone wanting to know themselves better.

Nature is critical in nourishing my creativity. I mean, I paint trees. I owe it to them to be out there with them showing them my gratitude. Plus, it's clearly fall in Santa Fe and that makes my heart sing!

Meditation happens almost every morning of my life and keeps me on the sane side of the scale so I can get crazy with paint after I've had coffee!

Photography- nothing fancy here. But, taking pics of ordinary things gives me moments of focus and appreciation for the beautiful things surrounding me.  

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it" Alice Walker

Who knows I might even be inspired to paint something purple!

Thanks for stopping by. I'll post Part II on what helps me stay inspired later.

My website has some new paintings and  news of upcoming events. I hope you will visit me there and sign up for my newsletter. http://lisaadamsreed.com/

On this beautiful fall day that's HOW I SEE IT!  What inspires you??

River Light Gallery-Crested Butte Colorado

We just returned from Crested Butte Colorado where my work is now being represented by the beautiful River Light Gallery.  It was an incredibly special experience because my family has a very long love affair with the area. My grandparents began exploring the area before I was even born! We have photos of my first vacation to Spring Creek Resort. I was a baby being bathed in the cabin’s kitchen sink! Charles and I got married by the banks of Spring Creek in 1981. And, now my brother and sister in law have a dreamy home nearby.  This feels like a very surreal, full circle experience having my paintings hanging in a gallery right smack in the middle of Crested Butte!

What a bonus to get to hike amidst the Aspens that so inspire my paintings. There was something so special about exploring caves and deteriorating 1800’s miner’s cabins. The ground feels eerily sacred and fed my creative soul. Can’t wait to get into some paint to see what happens next!

Special thanks to Charles and Gretchen, my biggest supporters, for being there for every minute of the inspiration and celebration. And, to the super talented Mike Mahoney and the wonderfully welcoming Pam Mahoney for making me feel like I belonged with the talented artists at River Light Gallery. It was a weekend to remember!