The Pulse: In the Groove 1

Welcome to the third edition of The Pulse: an artist survey. This collaborative project aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. For links to the sites of the participating artists, please click here.


Today's question comes courtesy of Debbie Mihalik: How do you get your creative groove? The following is the first of four posts to answer this question.


Suzan Buckner I know this sounds crazy, but I get creative watching reruns of the Gilmore Girls. It is like it puts my mind at ease, and their constant bantering makes my mind work. Weird, huh?

Andrew Borloz I try to live in the present moment. I observe things, and ask myself what it is about them that capture my attention. I also ask myself what I can do with them to create another item that is more aesthetically pleasing or interesting. There’s so much out in the world to see – there’s so many dots, lines, and shapes – how can one run out of ideas or inspirations? Yes, there are times when I am not at my creative best, I just keep on going by doing something and most times, good ideas often come up unexpectedly.

Teresa Abajo Middle of the night, overdosed on caffeine, trying to be as quiet as I can lest I wake the children or even worse, the husband. The same CD playing over and over (it’s Gorillaz ATM). I’ll have a ghost of an idea that’s milled around in my head for a few days. I usually start with a shape, then add colour, then decide on a medium. I also take into account the recipient, and the reason I’m making something.

Marissa O'Brien I generally get into my creative groove after a day in the office. I love to come home to my studio and make something whether I am working on a journal or I make a piece of jewelry. I crank up the ipod and create away.

Angela Cartwright It usually appears in a dream…I mull it over for days…I find myself thinking about it constantly, I jot down notes…titles…thoughts…Then one day I just have to start the project I have been dreaming about or I will explode. Once I get going there is no stopping me. I can work late into the night and then find I get up really early full of energy dying to get back to work. Making art is exhilarating.

Roben-Marie Smith This can come in so many forms. There are times when I have a dream that inspires me or lately, it is after spending the day shooting pictures.

Stephanie Hilvitz I seem to always be in a creative groove….but I do think working in series helps keep my groove going. An idea is sparked from objects or patterns or an idea I may have seen on a blog that really excites me. I’ll take elements of this and play with it, expand upon it.

Nina Bagley i don't "get into" a creative groove. i just go sit down at my table (my very messy table!) and begin to pull things together, willy nilly - a strand of beads here, an antique focal finding there, some words snipped from an old, old book - the groove gets me into it, rather than the other way around.

Leighanna Light I grab a cup of coffee & sit down in my studio, that's really all it takes!!

Linda Woods I just open my eyes!

Jessica Gonacha It's best when I can be by myself with no interruptions, and lots of music playing. That way I can get into my own world and lose track of time. I look at a lot of books to get inspired, and going on a walk always gets my creative juices flowing!

James Michael Starr I'm often inspired to go to work by reading or watching films about other artists, but the only disciplined way is to simply make myself go into the studio with the intent of being productive. There is no muse, no big high that starts it off, just the desire to push myself toward that creative act which in the end is so much more rewarding than anything else I could choose to do.

Kim Logan I get into the ‘creative groove’ by listening to favourite music, and drinking copious amounts of coffee..!!!....if stuck, I just go visiting museums and galleries, and hit my art books, sadly of which I have a huge collection... I am fortunate to have London on my doorstep and visit regularly, each month brings a new exhibition somewhere in the city and I find myself compelled to go..!!.....Its my professional duty you understand..!!!

Max Ackerson Usually it just comes to me. I will be watching Television or reading a book and all of a sudden i get this great feeling, and i just need to draw or build (Lego). With all the ideas rushing around in my head i just have to draw them out on paper.

Kathy Wasilewski Most of the time, I get into the groove to create when I have either been surfing the net or looking at magazines and see something that triggers me to sit down and play. However, I find that if I don't do it right away, the moment is lost and so is the idea. I generally work better when I have a deadline. Then, I know that I can't procrastinate and need to sit down and get the job done. If I play too long with something, I generally don't get it completed as I'm too picky about what I'm trying to achieve. However, with a deadline, I somehow break loose and end up with something that I'm happy with, but in less time.

Binky Bergsman This is a toughie. I really struggle with it. I have the laziness gene and to do something I have to fight my natural impulse to sit and read or watch TV. It also happens at the last minute when I have a deadline. I’m looking forward to seeing how others go about getting down to work. I tell students to go into the studio and start cleaning or piddling. Do anything as long as they are in the studio. Before they know it they will be creating. It drives me nuts that I don’t take my own advice.

Jennifer Gordon It just happens, it's so much a part of my day to day life that it is just there, if I need to jump start it though all I need to do is listen to Damien Rice or read some Anne Sexton and it starts happening. I also have a very rich imagination life that I visit to find stories to tell in my work.

Lynne Hoppe For the most part I don't feel like I'm in charge of getting in the groove... its the groove that's in charge and it lets *me* know when we're ready to roll! Oh I can try and encourage it by looking through art books or walking in the woods, but if the groove isn't there, that isn't going to do much. I've always felt like the groove, or muse, is in charge, not me. And without it I can't even decide what colors to use, much less where to start.

Ro Bruhn Visiting blogs and web sites and reading art books helps, but sometimes just walking into my studio and starting to clean up the mess gets me going off on a tangent and 'forget the mess' it can wait.

Dawn Sokol Finding the mojo can sometimes be difficult for me, since my full-time job is a creative one as well. Sometimes I need to just shut down for a day or two and veg from it all. Other times, that's not so easy to do because I'm on a deadline and need to get something done. Those times, I will look at blogs for inspiration, or magazines and books. If I've hit a MAJOR block, I find that the very odd combo of dark chocolate and iced tea work! I don't know why...it's almost like it turns my creative bulb on...I love when I hit the groove and I feel unstoppable. I turn on my iTunes and go with it (and my music tastes range all across the board!)... The only thing that stops me at that point is tiring out! It's great to look back on a day of work and know that I got much more done than I had planned.

Angela Rockett Ever since my studio was moved out of my home, just the act of entering my studio is enough to get me started. But to really get into the groove, I've got to have music playing, and each day seems to require a different type, from classical to international to pop. Yesterday it was the Peter Gabriel's soundtrack to the movie Rabbit-Proof Fence, today it was Depeche Mode. Go figure. Something with a strong beat usually works the best.

Kelly Kilmer I get out my glue stick, my papers, pens and open my journal. I don't get 'creative block'. I make art. I push. I pull. I work hard. I do what I love. When this stops being fun and stops making my heart go pitter pat, I'll close the journals and walk away...but I've loved paper since I was little and can't imagine NOT working with it. I try to make something every day...if I don't, I get antsy pants. Creative work keeps me happy (and sane!).

not mass produced it's just there all the time and very rarely goes away.

Cynthia Gaub I work best with deadlines and challenges. In many ways I am a very linear, organized, list-making type of artist. But usually if I just go up to my studio and sit down at my sewing center or collage desk I can start creating pretty quickly, getting TO the studio takes some inspiration. I will search the net, look at art books and doodle ideas in order to get myself into the head space for studio time.

Robyn Gordon I work best in solitude knowing that the whole day is mine. I get my creative groove just by knowing that I am totally free to work for as long as I like without interruptions. Paging through books, sketching in my idea book, sorting through my found object collection and diving straight into what I'm doing gets the juices flowing. I've learned that waiting for the muse to strike is hopeless. I'm a firm believer in Albert Einsteins quote "Nothing happens until it moves."