Over the past few weeks, I have invited you to develop a rich environment of creative conversation. I have asked you to first name the work you will be undertaking this year. I have then encouraged you to identify an artistic hero for your venture – an object of art from the past, even the recent past – a work of art within your medium that you can really invest some time into. I have also wanted you to explore the audience that you want your creative enterprise to respond to. How will you speak to the future? This linkage of an artistic chain – from present to past and the future — is essential for the success of the work.

This effort has leaned toward the rational side of things – an attempt to come up with a cogent framework for the artistic process. This is intentional, for the rational side allows for free-flowing exploration within this structure. Without it, we are just waddling through errant stimulation.

Now we have that rational foundation. It is time to have some fun, to get our hands dirty as we dive deep into all the possibilities that our creative endeavors have to offer. Let’s let loose our intuitive side.

It is time to start gathering inspirational materials. This is not just this week’s focus – rather it is the prevailing theme during these winter months, as we step off in to the unknown and begin to shape our creative project. Start to search out sources of inspiration – whether that means artifacts from the natural world or objects of interest within your artistic field. Wrap your arms around these items and collect them in some sort of defined space.

The choreographer Twyla Tharp, in her book “The Creative Habit,” describes using a box to store all the little snippets of inspiration that come her way. If something interests her, then she deposits it into her box, which is always ready to sift through and find direction within.

I personally find that these items get lost in a box. There is no attempt to delineate sources of inspiration that really define the work against those objects that are a mere passing fancy. I always fashion a creative archive with the prospect that it will be shared with others. This process forces me to be rigorous in terms of discovering just which inspirational elements really matter.

As an example, while in preproduction for a short film, I put together a little case full of bits and pieces that somehow added up to the general feeling that I wanted to communicate within the film. I then distributed these cases to all the people who had creative roles on the project. The director of photography received a case, as did the production designer, as well as the lead actors who were cast in the film. Sharing this inspirational case with all these other creatives really made me think long and hard about what was important to include. Refinement of these images and impressions focused the intent of the project.

I included a copy of the cover to David Bowie’s album “Hunky Dory.” I loved the graininess and otherworldliness of the shot of the performer. I wanted to achieve the same atmospheric quality within the scope of a short film. But I didn’t stop at visual inspirational elements. I also included a small bundle of rose stems – sharp thorns protruding – for this was a story about a romantic entanglement that goes all wrong before reaching a resolution. I even added a vial of an essential oil that I had concocted. I had a dear friend mix it according to the description of the film. I hoped to convey a sensuous quality to the production of the film. I wanted to use smell to communicate that feeling, even though it would never show up on the filmstock directly. I wanted it to be a reference point for everyone involved, something to harken back to when searching out creative juice. This process may sound loony, but it really made everyone think with all of their senses about the film we were about to create.

Put together your own little box of inspiration. Think about sharing it with someone significant to your work. Get as wild as you possible can. Search out aspects of your creative endeavor that correspond to all the senses. Do not worry if these bits and pieces make any sense to you now. Allow your subconscious to speak to you. Discover a collection unique to your own work. You will use it as a touchstone over the next twelve months. Have fun with this adventure!