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Spirit of Inspiration Newsletter |
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March 8, 2003
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======================================== 1. A Definition for Gary Polizer's Question 2. Quotes of the Day: Inspiration is.... 3. Movie Review: Rembrandt by Edwin Rutsch 4. Interview: Lucia Zambrini by Edwin Rutsch 5. Question of the day: Can you be too Inspired? Joan Kuenz 6. Last Laugh Cartoon: Cage Your Muse 7. Newsletter Info: Contribute, Subscribe or Unsubscribe ======================================== |
| 1. A Definition for Gary Polizer's Question | |
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In the last newsletter, Gary asked, "What is inspiration?" In this newsletter I wanted to focus a bit on the definition of inspiration. After looking at all the definitions in many different dictionaries, I boiled it down to the following; | ||
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So for example: Newton sits under the apple tree. An apple falls and hits him on the head. He suddenly becomes excited and full of energy as an idea for the theory of gravity comes to him. He writes down the idea in his notebook
In this story, the apple can be called an inspiration, since
it caused the enthusiasm and the sudden idea. The sudden idea is an
inspiration and so is his state of enthusiasm. Finally, his notes are the
product of the inspiration and can themselves be called an inspiration.
So, the word inspiration seems to have a lot of different but related meaning.
Looks to me like the English language is not very exact.
1. a. Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. b. The condition of being so stimulated. 2. An agency, such as a person or work of art, that moves the intellect or emotions or prompts action or invention. 3. Something, such as a sudden creative act or idea, that is inspired. 4. The quality of inspiring or exalting: a painting full of inspiration. 5. Divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind.
6. The act of
drawing in, especially the inhalation of air into the lungs. |
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| 2. Quotes of the Day: Inspiration is ..... | |
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Inspiration is an awakening, a quickening of all man's faculties, and it is
manifested in all high artistic achievements. Giacomo Puccini
Inspiration is a fragile thing... just a breeze, touching the green foliage of a
city park, just a whisper from the soul of a friend. Just a line of verse
clipped from some book. Inspiration... who can say where it is born, and why it
leaves us? Who can tell the reasons for its being or not being? Only this... I
can think. Inspiration comes from the Heart of Heaven to give the lift of wings,
and the breath of divine music to those of us who are earthbound.
Margaret Sangster
Inspiration is a sustainable internal glow which PULLS you forward.
Giuseppe Mazzini
Inspiration is a guest who does not like to visit lazy people.
Tchaikowsky
...inspiration is as necessary to the life of goodness, holiness and happiness
as perpetual respiration is necessary to animal life. Andrew Bonar Law
| 3. Movie Review: Rembrandt | |
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This older black and white
movie from 1936 tells the story of the famous
painter,
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. According to the movie,
his main inspiration seemed to come from the love of his first wife. Sitting
at a table with his friends who were discussing women, Rembrandt said, "All
women are in one." In other words, he was saying that he could see all women in his
wife. The painting of himself and his wife to the right show how happy
he was. His wife died young and this affected him greatly. |
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| Rembrandt
started living beyond his means and accumulated big debts. Through all this
he tried to maintain his integrity by only painting the way he saw life instead of doing high paying commissions for wealthy
patrons. It seemed to me he was inspired by his spirit of integrity.
Later in life he found inspiration in love again when he became lovers with
a maid from the country. He wanted to marry her, but initially could not
because of some inheritance issues. Unfortunately, she also died young
along with several of his children.. |
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| 4. Interview of Lucia Zambrini | |
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Lucia Zambrini |
In the last edition of the
newsletter, Lucia Zambrini, who
is a graduate student in Italy, wrote about the meaning of the word for
inspiration in Italian. I interviewed her and following is part of the interview.
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Edwin: When was the first time you were inspired?
Lucia: The first time I was inspired I had different stimuli coming from the
outside: it was a difficult period of my life with bad memories of the recent
past and confused ideas about my present. I remember that in those strange and
very irregular days of my life I let the inspiration flow without restraining it
ever. I wrote mostly, letters and poems. I did not need to think much about what
I was writing. Everything came just by concentrating on my feelings.
Edwin: Can you tell me about the last time you got an inspiration and how you
turned it into a painting?
Lucia: Every time I paint I experience different kinds of inspiration: Up to now
the most familiar way was the inspiration based on images I had and I would
later put on canvas, which I explained in the article. Other times, though, I
don't have clear ideas of what I am going to paint, until I have actually
finished the job.
Another important point is that I always paint for someone: the great majority
of my canvases originate because they must be a present for a person. Sometimes
I even asked them what they would like it to be (the size, the theme, etc.) then
of course I add my own personal ideas and I might not follow their desires.
The last time I felt strongly inspired I did not exactly know what I was going
to paint: I just knew that the person who asked me for it wanted it to be
something concerning the sea. When I finally started working on the painting I
was feeling very angry and sad for other reasons and I used the canvas for
relieving these emotions: I painted the sea itself in tempest.
| I am sending you my drawing on inspiration also. I tried to convey both the idea that for me it is something uneven and irrational (lines are segmented and in different shapes), and yet clear and harmonious (see the same lines). It is also colorful (often lines have more than one color) and bright (see the background) |
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Also, I found a painting titled "L'ispirazione", 1874, by Antonio Mancini. See below.
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L'ispirazione |
Edwin:
That's an interesting painting.
It's a little dark
and I'm not sure exactly what it is. It looks like a boy or a girl (I think
girl) sitting on a chair, next to a desk full of books. Maybe she is day
dreaming? Or looking out a window and receiving L'ispirazione.
I'm not clear if she is writing or reading the books?
Lucia: I agree with you: the painting is not clear and dark. Anyway, I think that is the most important point. In the darkness and unclearness (also poverty), l'ispirazione, the light, comes to comfort and clarify. Look at the mouth: the protagonist, whether boy or girl, seems to start smiling. It is not important whether she/he was writing or just reading or whether later on he/she will use it as a source for actually realizing a work of art. The painter here catches just the instant of reception. |
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Edwin: The painting reminds me of this painting, Inspiration, Jean-Honoré Fragonard. In this case it seems the writer or poet is looking out beyond himself for his inspiration. |
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Inspiration |
Lucia: I see what you mean about the other painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, although the two paintings are actually set in two very different places and the protagonists belong to two different social and economical milieu and two different ages. There is the same light and in the French case maybe the writer is forced to turn his face towards it. |
| 5. Question for the day: Can you be too Inspired? from Joan Kuenz | |
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I
was talking to Joan and she keeps bringing up the question, "Can you be
too Inspired?"
Joan says, there is no
end to ideas that inspire her, but she can't do them all. It's becoming
overwhelming. Joan's thinking of writing an article for the
newsletter on the topic. Stay tuned.... |
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| 6. Last Laugh Cartoon: by Arnie Levin | |
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Follow the link from the thumbnail to see the full cartoon located at CartoonBank.com
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Writer Working on Computer While His Muse is Trapped in Birdcage Arnie Levin The New Yorker Collection from CartoonBank.com |
| 7. Newsletter Info, Contribute, Subscribe or Unsubscribe | |
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I'd love to hear and see your thoughts, poetry,
writings, artwork and etc. about the experience of inspiration.
Be sure to send them to the
Discussion
List. The Spirit of
Inspiration Newsletter and email list is for the creative exploration and
research into the experience of inspiration. The Newsletter is sent out every
couple of weeks.
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All the Best
Edwin
Rutsch
Editor
email me
