How Do Artists Do That? – Arts Awareness

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.

Everyone can learn to use this sort of creative thinking. Openness and curiosity allow you to see beyond what you logically observe and give you the opportunity to see and feel and know new things. These are real benefits of the artistic process—mental dexterity and the chance to see things in new ways. It’s thinking that opens the door to new methods of problem-solving and more flexible approaches to visualizing and realizing your dreams.

Art is not a thing, it is a way.
~Elbert Hubbard

Sculptor Andy Goldsworthy not only gets his ideas from his surroundings, but he creates works of art in the environment out of things like flowers, stones, pinecones, icicles, leaves, and twigs. He takes stunning photographs of his works before they disappear, or as they disappear, due to nature’s normal recycling process. Here, you can see a few color photographs of his natural sculptures—Andy Goldsworthy.