In order to maintain your creativity you must surround yourself with creative people. This was something that I was taught to me as a graphic design student, in college. The teacher’s advice was simple enough to execute, but it was sometimes too easy to find a quiet place to design and shut out the rest of the world. My art was good, but It wasn’t until I did talk with other designers, research creative styles and see different pieces of inspiration, that my work improved.
Now that I’m, in a way, starting over artistically again, I feel that I need to reach out to other creatives to search for that new-found inspiration.
I had been following a local pop-rock band from New Haven, called Laini and the Wildfire. I love the band’s vibe and Laini’s singing voice along with her piano playing. It brings me into a Tori Amos state of mind, which I totally dig.
Every now and again the lead singer and I would exchange thoughts over social media. They consisted of pop-culture comparisons, comments of each others achievements and witty giphy come-backs. I felt it was time to take the leap and ask if she wanted to meet up for coffee sometime, and Laini agreed! The morning of the meet up began with the normal light talk of how the traffic was and the weather, but I then asked Laini how she started her music career.
It actually began with her as a social worker, helping troubled children. After a long day at work, she would then return home and try to focus on her music. Laini mentioned to me that it was hard to give 150% to these two completely different aspects of her life even though they both were so important to her. She soon realized that the hard decision of choosing one over the other, had to be done. Laini chose her music.
I could relate to her with my path change from a business advertising role to a more illustrative artistic one. Laini was able to find something that not only spoke to her soul, but became the solution to working with children, again. She also now teaches piano. My eyes lit up hearing this! I then told her of one of my reasons for moving forward with Illustration was due to teaching Graphic Design at a local community college, and she smiled.
“I feel parts of our lives are in parallel with one another.” She said and I agreed. We both needed the emblematic ‘wake up call’ from the cosmos to guide us toward the decision to follow our creative dreams. Laini and I then eagerly talked about up coming projects that we had our minds set on and giving each other the green light to go for it! We were like our creative instruments of art and music — hamonizing with one another for inspiration.
Laini and myself then started to talk about funny situations on how our artistic minds wander...
She shared with me the hilarious tale of leaving her phone on the roof of her car as she drove away, one day. When Laini went to go find the device, to her surprise, the cell was left on the side of the highway, unharmed. After making the vow to never do that again, she drove away just 24 hours later with a notebook on…you guessed it…the roof of her car. Lol!
Poor Laini. I decided to draw a car accessory for her. This should remedy the matter, nicely. I have no idea what her car looks like, but I just feel everyone should drive around in a 1970’s European Fiat. ;)
It was a pleasure to meet Laini. I now have another creative friend to turn to. I love when things work out that way.