August 10, 2015
What does that inspire you? I have been often asked this question. Yes, I am utterly inspired to live a life of an artist but I never felt the need to have specific inspiration to create artwork or works. Because I am aware, I am rarely in the highly inspired state to create. But I enter into the process of creation like a celebration with no specific reason, with no specific idea or concept. In the majority of times I create with no preconceived notions. I just let my inner freedom and intelligence move me while following the intuitive guidance to take spontaneous action.
As I understand, inspiration is always used in connection with a positive state of mind and its influence on creation. I doubt an artist always creates with only such one-sided state of inner self. He or she, in general, is filled with a mix of all states of mind, emotions, feelings, experiences and expressions. To be honest, I started painting to inspire myself to live, love and laugh. Initially, I used it as a tool to beat my uninspired self but with no idea or dream of living a life of an artist. I started reluctantly thinking ‘Okay let me try this way as well’ as one of many ways to heal myself.
So the point I wish to make here is, I create irrespective of being inspired by any specific reason or state or idea or situation. Yes, I create from the state of a natural flow of my own movement, self-study and the impact of my surrounding wherever I live or travel or communicate. It is not important for me what, when, where or how I create. Not even the moments of sitting in the studio and being in the process of creation are important. But it is very important for me what I do when I am not indulged in the process of creation. Through my experience I can say that the life that I live, I witness, experience and its impact on me becomes ingredient of my creation determining my output.
To conclude, I wish to share that I am in the state of creation any time or all the time as long as I am connected profoundly with the ‘child’ within me. Being childlike keeps me in state of inspiration irrespective of subject, object, environment or influence of creation. I certainly do not follow the childishness that intellect can create. Instead, I trust in my inner intelligence and possibly I continue to express myself like a child - innocent and pure.
Beyond Barcelona series was the beginning of a new journey of the child within me.
(Copyright 2021, Deviprasad C Rao. Author is an Artist, Curator, Writer & Artist Facilitator. Founder of Devamitra Artists Collective based in Zurich, Switzerland. He can be reached through this website www.deviprasad.com)