Have you ever wondered where artists get their ideas? What might seem like a mystery is actually thinking that comes from life experiences, feelings, and the environment.

Have you ever wondered where artists get their ideas? What might seem like a mystery is actually thinking that comes from life experiences, feelings, and the environment.
When you take the time to appreciate the Arizona landscape, you discover creative spaces you may have never before imagined. The experience is one that’s available to all of us all the time in any location.
Highly creative artists do their work in a world of unpredictability. They don’t force a clear picture of the end result. While they may set restrictions and principles, they don’t create such strong boundaries that limit flow or their ability to move in new, more inspired directions. They trust themselves and the artistic process.
Artists often experience dramatic and varying waves of confidence swings. There are days when things go well, when they feel strong and productive; and then there are days when they question their abilities or feel weak and insignificant.
Creativity is a hot topic in today’s education and business worlds. There are also a lot of contrasting opinions about what it is and how we learn it or teach it.
Every time an artist begins a new work or prepares for a performance the world is wide open. There is a level of excitement about that moment that’s invigorating. It’s a fresh start.
In preparation for November elections, political candidates are engaging in numerous conversations about education, the economy, and building healthier, happier communities.
Last week as I visited some artists’ studios in Scottsdale, Arizona, I was reminded of what the Scottsdale Celebration of Fine Art refers to as the “pristine beauty, luminous sunlight, and mysteriousness of the Sonoran Desert” that has attracted artists to the area year after year.
The basic nature of the artistic process allows artists the opportunity to become inventive and open their minds to what might be possible. Because they see big, they can think big, and they become visionaries who bring their dreams to reality.
Whether they are conscious of it or not, the artistic process teaches artists to solve problems creatively—with boldness, courage, and focus. Artists practice—they use the tools of their art form to carve a path forward so they can achieve their goals. In order to move forward, they confront problems that arise in the artistic process, rather than avoid them.