A Direct Line to the Gods: Inspiration in Artists

A Direct Line to the Gods: Inspiration in Artists

To the ancients, there was nothing that was more sacred to the people than artists. They were believed to be divinely inspired by the gods. Artists and poets were tolerated to be a bit unusual and the reason for this was that they were divinely inspired. It was thought that they spoke with the Gods on a regular basis in order to be endowed with the gifts that they possessed.

When a poet would begin to write a new manuscript or a new verse, his first thing would be to reach out to the goddess and ask for inspiration and summon the muse that he wanted to reach. What that meant was that the first 20 to 30 lines when you look at the ancient texts always represent that invocation as a way to call upon the divine.

Now we see witches and warlocks and priests and priestesses of the old faiths who call upon the gods to be present and spirits to speak to them. There are New Age gurus who tell us that the line to creativity and inspiration is the hotline to the collective unconscious.

It seems there is this nebulous void that lives somewhere in the mind that we are all trying to tap into, some sort of location we as writers, creators, or mystics of any kind are trying to tap into. The idea that the universe is a continuous motion and that it was set in motion by the push of one force that is greater than all of us and that the force was so great is not one that is new. These are not the ramblings of modern scientists, but the thoughts and the treatises crafted by Aristotle 500 years before the birth of Christ and the beginning of the Common Era.

What is this thing that we call inspiration?
What is it exactly that the artist is trying to reach when inspiration and the creative process happens?
When it does hit us, how do we know where it is coming from, and how do we duplicate it?

Many of the ancients were known to use opium to obtain levels of inspiration. We hear from Socrates as well as Plato about the right amount of water and wine to blend for the optimum level of creativity when entertaining dinner guests and debating philosophy. The key was to be completely in touch with your reason and yet be uninhibited enough to know that you were in touch with the right level of the mind and spirit connection.

The Greeks and the Romans were both very religious as well as spiritual people. They believed that everything had to be done at the right time and in the right way in order to appease the gods that were constantly in a state of seeking to trouble mankind. To the ancient Greek, human existence was a struggle and a pain and the best reward was sought in the underworld where Elysium or the fields of the Blessed were waiting. It was not impossible to speak to a loved one from the other side or to summon them to speak to you through scrying or many other methods.

The poet, or the musician, however, was the highest regarded member of society, they were believed like a priest or priestess to be able to summon the inspiration and the words from the other side. Those words could come from Apollo or Daphne, or they could come from a tortured shade who had passed into the next world who wanted their story to be told. Whatever the case might be, much like Chyron, the poets and artists operated with one foot in the next realm and one in this realm.

The Experiments of Victorian Authors

After the fall of the Classical Empires and the many ages that proceeded afterwards, many of the societies that looked back on the writings of the Greeks thought them to be barbaric, ridiculous, and outlandish. When there were new scientific advances, and when Romanticism brought about the awakening of the sexual as well as a new interest in the classics aside from Stoicism, there was a renewed interest in the interest of inspiration and where it came from. Many authors such as Shelley, and Byron began to experience with Opium to see if they were in fact,able to take themselves into the levels of divine inspiration that had been seen by the Greeks. One thing that the Classical poets believed emphatically was that the works that they took down were in fact not of their construct. The works belonged to the ages and they were merely the mouthpiece of the work who put pen to paper and made it come about.

The Modern Obsession With Art and Rock Stars

When we look at our authors, poets, painters, and rock stars today, it is very clear that they hold a different place from most other people in the general sphere. Most are a little quirky, a little strange, and border on extreme eccentricity. However, are we still looking at them in the way that the Greeks and the Romans were? Do we think that they are the mouthpieces of inspiration that is coming to us from the other realm? Or do we think that they are creating these works on their own and sharing them? Whatever we may think, inspiration remains a hard thing to find and a difficult process to nail down for all who are working to try and 

Making Art on Commission: Tips for Artists

Making Art on Commission: Tips for Artists

By: Melissa English

About all artists, who are intrigued by either taking a shot at commission or are exhibited with offers to create masterpieces on commission at different focuses amid the course of their professions. While most commission courses lead to finishing with no issues at all, numerous craftsmen have additionally had what looked to be a brilliant commission opportunities transform into unmitigated bad dreams. 

The accompanying tips and pointers on the best way to approach commissions and on what's in store when authorized to make craftsmanship won't just expand your chances for fruitful results, yet will likewise help you recognize circumstances when the best approach is to simply say no as opposed to tackle the project.

In any case, taking a shot at commission - making a particular masterpiece that somebody requests that you make - is totally not the same as living up to expectations of yourself where you make whatever you need to make without any information or impact from others. Making a masterpiece for yourself is solo act; delivering a gem on commission for another person is a relationship - an association in the middle of you and that individual. Never confuse the two.

From your end, the way to effectively take a shot at commission is your capacity to be adaptable and correspond with whoever procures you. A commission relationship just succeeds when you respond proactively to the next party's worries, demands and needs.  Sometimes these will be excessive, however, you must keep your client happy.  To put an alternate way, on the off chance that you don't function admirably with individuals, don't take commissions.

The most obvious commission entanglement by a wide margin is taking one on without knowing who you're managing. Regardless of how seriously you require the cash, the extent to which they say they adore your craft, how well your introductory contact goes or the extent to which you both like spumoni, on the off-chance that you haven't cooperated some time recently, do due diligence.

Numerous commission debacles can be maintained a strategic distance from before they even begin. 

Meet with the other party ahead of time to talk about the venture, ideally at your studio or wherever you make craftsmanship. Verify they see an assortment of work so they get a decent thought of the scope of your aptitudes. Some individuals say they need to commission a gem when all they truly need is a definite copy of one specific piece, or something that resembles one of just a couple of bits of your craft that they've ever seen. The a greater amount of your craft they see, expecting they keep on liking it, the better they comprehend the extent of your work, the less demanding it gets to be for them to acknowledge the completed item, and the less you'll need to stress over needing to create a certain arrangement or be given headings or directions consistently.

Watch how the other party responds to your specialty; figure out which pieces they like the most and the slightest. Graciously make inquiries and sway them to do likewise. Let them know you need to verify they're fulfilled by the completed item. You two need to envision the formation of the craftsmanship in essentially the same route for a commission to work. Contrasts in introductory view of how the methodology ought to continue could prompt issues later. Answers to inquiries like the accompanying will help you comprehend what you're in for on the off chance that you accept the job.

"Have you worked on commission recently? Assuming this is the case, what number of pieces?" The bigger the number, the more likely you are to experience issues. Just to verify however, ask how past commissions have gone and if any issues they may have experienced along the way. In case you're feeling a bit dubious, you may even request names of a few craftsmen who they've commissioned craftsmanship from and reach them to perceive how things went.

If they've never commissioned works, discover what they need and verify you can offer it to them. How would they like the commission to continue? What part do they see themselves as playing? What do they anticipate from you? On the off chance that they have implausible desires that appear hard to satisfy, turn down the job.

"What would you like to see in your vision ?" Look for wide or general replies, the sorts of answers that will permit you elbowroom by they way you make the completed piece. You need signs that they acknowledge vision  as opposed to how they need the completed piece to look. On the off chance that you get particular replies about what the organization ought to be, what colors they need you to utilize or what sorts of points of interest they'd like to see, they may well attempt to micromanage the undertaking once it begins.

"Is there anything you dislike about my craft or would prefer not to see in the craftsmanship I make for you?" The less they dislike, the better. In the event that they dislike something you can't do much about, caution them now as opposed to later. In the event that they dislike a generous measure of what you do, you may think truly about not taking the job.

"Will you be the stand out supporting the workmanship?" This is a vital inquiry, and one where you need "Yes" for an answer. The more individuals you need to if it’s not too much trouble the more outlandish you'll please everybody and the more you ought to consider turning down the commission. In circumstances where different gatherings have a say over the completed item, if one doesn't like it you're for the most part screwed. Being subjected to agreement by panel is not a decent position to be in.

Accepting the meeting goes well and you see one another, continue with the relationship. Make sure you make a detailed contract which will allow you to have the upper hand in the situation.  You wil know exactly what to expect and when to expect it.

Oblige a rate of the full expense ahead of time, typically around 1/3 the aggregate expense of the commission. Accepting fractional installment early takes weight off of you to complete the craftsmanship quick (in the event that you truly require the cash), furthermore submits the other party to needing a positive result. The development ought to be nonrefundable. In the event that the other party retreats anytime before the work is finished, they ought to comprehend that regardless you've contributed time, work and materials, and ought to be compensated for it.

Mastermind the other party to occasionally see the work in advancement - not consistently, yet maybe three or four times amid the course of finish. That way, you can address any concerns before they quit fooling around. You would prefer not to present a completed work of art to somebody who had an entirely unexpected idea of what the completed structure would look like. Case in point, in case sketch a representation.

Energize dialog at all times. The other party ought to feel great making inquiries and communicating feelings about the workmanship and its advancement. Disheartening criticism or acting excessively delicate to feedback could keep them from letting you know what they're supposing as they get to be progressively disappointed with the craftsmanship. Keep the discussion channels open and be adaptable at all times.

Don't change the look of the commission from what you've at first settled upon regardless of how tempted you get, unless you talk it over with the other party first and get their authorization. Taking things into your own particular hands generally spells inconvenience, particularly when the other party has practically no involvement with commissions.

Don't naturally deny a commission in light of the fact that you think it "disregards your imaginative honesty" or you dislike a certain part of what they need you to make (despite the fact that you're splendidly equipped for making it). At any rate hear the individual out. Case in point, ahead of schedule in his vocation a well-known watercolor  artist painted an arrangement of oil artistic creations of pigs for an informal lodging inn in light of the fact that he required the cash. He got to be bounty effective through the years and would never acknowledge such a commission today, yet in those days he accepted the employment with a specific end goal to get by as a craftsman. Furthermore, that is precisely what he did.

Eventually, you choose what you're eager to endure when dealing with commission. A few specialists will take an evident danger focused around how gravely they require the cash or need to have their specialty in a specific accumulation. On the other hand, dismissing the commission and keeping up genuine feelings of serenity may be more vital than a paycheck. Whatever the arrangement, get your work done early. The better set up you are and the better you comprehend what you're getting into, the better you'll have the capacity to adapt once you get into it.

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