~ God told me to be an artist, week 44.
Friday 20th October, 2023.
Hey! It's been whirlwind few weeks over here. After returning from Sweden I went full steam ahead into putting on an exhibition [Offering] with my friend Maja Lorkowska-Callaghan. If you follow me on instagram you would have seen the several [hundred] posts about it.
I am happy to confirm it went well! Maja and I were able to host people in a beautiful setting amongst our art. It was especially significant for us as the exhibition showcased some of the breadth of collage, an often underestimated medium. The elevation of cut and paste is something very close to our hearts. It was honour to share it with our city.
One thing that has stood out to me in the days following Offering is that Sweden is so much more than an escape to the forest for me, it's a major source of inspiration. Many of my works were inspired by and created in Sweden, I experienced a great flurry of artistic inspiration whilst there.
For a long time Sweden felt like the only place in the world where I can be fully relaxed and able to think and dream about my biggest creative ideas. But I'm starting to see, more clearly, that it's not about Sweden, it's about accessing inspiration.
As a creative, you need to be inspired right? I think it's an even broader need than that, I think everyone needs a form of inspiration in their lives to help them navigate and live in a fulfilling way. I think it's a pursuit we all must commit to, to find the combination of things that ignite our imaginations and help us think in a different way. To help us build the lives we want to live.
My time in Sweden over the years has unearthed some sacred truths within me. I can finally see the things that I require to unlock different parts of my brain and expand my capacity for dreaming. For me it's becoming very clear that I need a number of conditions which quieten the noise and steady the speed of my regular life.
So far I've narrowed it down to the these 4 things:
Firstly, I need space - distance between me and my usual life.
Secondly, I need simplicity - less rushing and stimuli.
Thirdly, I need reduced responsibility - less expectation on self and a reduced routine.
Finally, I need a slower pace - a softer rhythm of moving through the day.
The reason I believe Sweden has become like a second home to me is because my best friend lives there, but also because it gifts me these four things, space/ simplicity/ reduced responsibility and a slower pace. This combination erodes my defences and allows for a river a creative expression and dreaming to flow.
It literally breaks the walls around me that are limiting and obsessed with 'being realistic' and a raging sea of audacious dreaming pours out. It's not Sweden in itself, it's the culmination of the things I need to free my mind.
So what does this mean?
Well, I think it means instead of needing to be in Sweden to reach my creative capacity I can seek out other spaces and times where I can have space/ simplicity/ reduced responsibility and a slower pace. Then I can be inspired and creatively reenergised anywhere in theory.
How exciting!
It may not be that I can always have all 4 of my creative magic combo, but what could happen if I was able to find just 2 or 3 of them, would inspiration still come?
There's a lot to be discovered in this for me, but I'm excited to see what I can unlock by allowing my brain to travel into these different spaces with different circumstances. I'm calling them my inspiration trips.
I'm planning a couple of actual trips abroad next year to really harness some creative dreaming, but I'm also excited to see what I can carve out in the UK. How I can find urban retreats and spaces to free my mind close to home. I'm excited to investigate the difference between creating physical space and emotional space to enhance inspiring experiences. I'll see what works best as I go.
The great creative experience!
I'm thinking of 2024 as being a whole year of relentlessly pursuing imagination and dreaming and I can't wait to see what's on the other side of these inspiration trips.
God is unbelievably kind to have increased my capacity for dreaming and risk taking in the last few years. He has empowered me through a series of situations, events and challenges to encourage me to keep dreaming bigger and to follow his sometimes unusual calls.
Thank you God for this path, it's the hardest but most beautiful one.
When I was younger I was so afraid to be out of control, I would never allow myself to dream of bigger or wilder things, it didn't feel safe. These days I'm still challenged by the creative call on my life, it's a wild ride at times, but God strengthens me and I know He will finish what he has started.
So I'll leave you with these two questions...
What do you need to find your own inspiration trip?
What do you need to feel free?
See you next week, Cath x
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