The Oscars

So it's been approximately a million years since my last post (rough estimate). And since that has been my ONLY post up until now, I am clearly not a blogging master. In my defense, though, this semester has been absolutely crazy so far: lots of school and work and all that jazz. But also a lot of inspiration! So without further ado, I give you...The Academy Awards!

Shiny!

Yes, I am watching them currently (topical post!). And no, I sadly have not seen most of the movies. And yes, I have heard that the movies nominated this year were somewhat underwhelming. But watching this ceremony, under all the glamour and fashion and random Cirque du Soleil performances, I've seen some people who truly love what they do.

I may not have seen The Help, but I definitely teared up at Octavia Spencer's acceptance speech. And seeing Christopher Plummer win his FIRST (!) Oscar at 82 years old was fantastic. Not to mention, of course, those non-celebrities who are so obviously moved and touched that it leaps off the screen, making more of an impact than any well-known face could.

What brings these people together at the Oscars is their absolute love for what they do. It's passion. That passion is absolutely essential to creating. It doesn't matter what the product is: a painting, a song, a film, a dance, whatever. Passion is what inspires us to start, to keep going, and ultimately to make something that we are proud of and that represents us and that has meaning. Not everything I do is infused with passion, but when it is...you can tell.

So maybe the Oscars are a little self-congratulatory and silly. And maybe I don't really even care who wins Best Picture. But what makes me tune in every year is seeing some people who have put everything they have into what they do. Pure, unadulterated passion: now that's something worth watching.

And to be honest, the pretty dresses don't hurt either.

The Beginnings...

Inspiration is always and everywhere. It is both powerful and fleeting, all-encompassing and momentary. In that contradiction lies its horrible magic: inspiration invigorates and energizes us, but so often we fail to capture it, and it slips out of mind. Enter Inspir(n)ation: a personal record of inspiration taken and applied.

Now with the required blog-beginning cheese out of the way, on to the good stuff! I’m just a casual artist with a few classes under my belt and a lot of enthusiasm to learn and grow. Having just completed my first semester of college (!) and getting ready to face my first art class of higher education, NOW seems like the perfect time to create this space for my thoughts and hopes and their results.

In the past few months I’ve already realized one of my biggest dreams, and that’s only scratching the surface on what’s to come. I’m talking about *drumroll* moving to The City. And yes, The City deserves to be treated as a proper noun, because for me it’s always been so full of energy and life and the essence of so many dreams and goals. And while Milwaukee isn’t a HUGE city, I absolutely love it. The lights, the people, the energy, the opportunities, the possibilities: what’s not to inspire?

Hooray for Milwaukee! doodles

Even more importantly, to me The City has always been a vital element of the person I’ve dreamed of being…and attempting to become that person a little more every day is one of my new guiding principles. Walking through the streets of Milwaukee or just looking at those endless lights signifying endless stories makes that goal feel attainable. Enough waiting, I’m ready to be Me.

So here’s to The City! I loved coming here, I love being here, and I never want to leave. And here’s to inspiration! That magnetic force that makes life so interesting, may I find it in abundance (and work to keep it!). And finally, here’s to Inspir(n)ation: a place to record my story in things observed, dreamt, and created. Happy blogging :)