Musings on art and inspiration

So last night I attended Artist Trust's EDGE program presentations. I'm not sure EDGE actually stands for anything, but it's a professional development program for Washington artists, and you can read more about it here. As an EDGE graduate myself, it's always fun to go see people present their art after going through this intensive 50-hour program. I remember when I presented my work it was quite a high, because I had put so much effort into my presentation materials and applying all the things I had learned, and seeing your work projected larger than life on a big screen in a darkened room is always a high. Anyway, going to this event got me really inspired and excited about art in general. There was so much good work being shown that night!! So many talented people, all different media, different approaches, each great in their own way. It's so inspiring to see what people do when they're creating from their own resonance. It got me thinking of how many different creative inspirations there must be just floating around on a given day, and how many of them are actually harnessed and made into something by someone with the skill and imagination to bring it forth. I know that I have hundreds of ideas that pass through my brain and, if I remember them, never get carried out for a myriad of reasons-time, resources, lack of skill or know-how. When I do really get on a creative roll, it astounds me what comes out of me. Imagine if I could produce like that all the time (boy would I be tired!) I would be so prolific, my work would be all over the world by now. Heh heh. (So it's probably a good thing I'm not.)

All this digital stuff is fun and all, but...

...dammit, I need to print!
I'm going crazy here. The last time I was in a darkroom was in January. I keep having visions of things I want to print. I have stacks of negatives untouched. There is a darkroom 2 blocks from my house that offers 24/7 access for $100 a month. I want to do it. I really want to. But I don't have an extra $100 a month. And I have to be practical...I'm receiving financial assistance already for going back to school, essentially, to learn all this nifty digital stuff and some illustration, so that I can become an even more self-supporting artist with an even broader range of skills...But I wanna PRINT! I want to mess around with smelly chemicals in very subdued light. I want to stand in one place agitating a Lith print for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. I want to do "the hard way" all the things I'm learning to do with just a click of the mouse in Photoshop.
(Ok, it really takes more than one click...but that sounded better in the flow of the writing. Sue me.)

ubergoth

ubergoth
Originally uploaded by ellafine.

i am actually quite fond of gazing upon crucifixes