47 - How Wild is Your Imagination?

And I was reflecting on what imagination and what inspiration are and how they're generated and how one of the things we're talking about in The Embodied Artist, which is, of course, my first ever online course, although I've done lots of things online and with one-to-ones.

And this last week, it's all been about this week coming.

It's about the imagination.

And there's a lot more to say on that.

And I'm not going to just say the thing that is in the course, but I've recorded a few podcasts about this because I'm trying to make them a bit shorter.

Have you noticed? And I was thinking about this idea.

You know, I don't like the word artist, but it's the one that we've got because it's a word that we've got right now.

I was thinking about this idea because a friend was telling me about her ideal day to fill her cup and that it would be in Vienna or Paris and it would be like the opera and museums and an exquisite spa day and an amazing meal and to be in all these old buildings and to be around all these people and high, beautiful luxury, high art, exquisite taste, which I can completely understand.

And I was saying to her how that would not make me feel inspired.

It would actually make me feel like I need to go and be by myself for two days or at home with my son or like take my son camping or something because it would be too much.

And I was saying to her how I get inspired when I'm by myself with a massive amount of outside time, strenuous exercise followed or interspersed with periods of deep solitary focus on my work.

Yeah.

and then yes listening to things music poetry whatever it is and time to stare into space and work out problems and have my perception inversed by some strange contrast in experience such as you know fitting this monstrous diamond into this ring for a client it's the most incredible diamond i've ever seen it's like a two carat really clear diamond And then I'm watching Grappling with these Brazilians.

And that contrast in input and sensory or intellectual experience creates so much vitality in my body.

And then I feel really inspired.

Hence the podcast.

Hence what I'm going to do when I get back.

And I was saying to my friend, isn't it funny because...

Most people will intuitively know what gives them energy.

You know, on my day off, I want to do this.

My dream birthday, my dream day would be this, that or the other.

But do you know, as an artist, what really sets your imagination on fire? And I'm saying this as I'm speaking it.

I'm not necessarily saying I know what mine is and I can articulate it.

But what I'm noticing is that the idea of art galleries, God bless them, I've never really...

I can't think of a single time I've been to a gallery or an exhibition.