By C. Cording
I often insist I have writer’s block, when in fact I might just not have the inspiration to write. This happens to me more often than I’d like to admit. I can only write well when I’m exceptionally sad, incredibly inspired, or have close contact with my muse, which hasn’t happened in some time.
When I cannot find the inspiration or motivation to write, I find that when I am exposed to other art forms I can become inspired.
I saw a painting by Rachel Garcia from the Bronx named “Melt Into Me,” and I was tremendously moved. The painting, as it conveys to me, shows the unraveling and raveling of two people when they are falling in love, and ultimately, the pain one feels when they’re being ripped apart from the one that made them feel at home and whole.
We’ve all experienced falling in and out of love. This painting reads to me that it’s unavoidable despite how desperately you fight to not fall in love and then to not fall out of love, but all your effort is for naught.
The world created in this painting is otherworldly, as depicted with the various moons and suns in the sky, but the love appears to be the same type of love we feel in this world. Love transcends species. If there is one thing that is a language in which we can communicate with all life, it is through love and affection.
The flames that surround the couple visualize the impending doom of this relationship depicted in the painting. Because of the way they are grasping for one another, one finds it difficult to know if they are merging into one, or being broken apart into two. I know how wonderful it feels to merge into someone, to become them, to feel what they feel, and to adjust your life and make all your decisions with them in mind. As it always appears to go, I then find myself being separated and at a loss as to what to do with the pieces of myself I’m trying to retrieve and put back together.
The point of this analysis of this painting and how it relates to writing is that I found it steered me in the direction of inspiration. I found myself tapping into the feeling of falling in love and then the pain of losing that love.
When we have a block, approaching other art forms with the intention of gaining inspiration, we can find ourselves tap into the feelings of which we once had and with whom we once had them. This helps me get back into the mindset of hurt, which is where I need to be when I am writing my current project. You might find that approaching this idea from the viewpoint of inspiring happiness, you could search for other artwork to evoke those emotions for you. I strongly believe that this works in terms of other art modalities as well. I have utilized certain music to get me in the right headspace. I’ve also found that watching exceptionally well-written television and movies with great acting performances can even be helpful–and this is coming from someone that used to feel she was above television.
All this to say—if you can’t write, despite all efforts, explore other art and see if you get the inspiration and motivation you are so deeply yearning for.