Inspiration or Plain Hard Work - What's Your Choice?

"Airview" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Years ago, I decided to create a series of paintings of air views. My reference material came from my own photographs taken on commercial flights and pictures from a private plane, snapped by a pilot friend. Once I decided on the theme for my paintings, I suppose my inspiration was already there.

But people, whether artists or writers, do not always come to work inspired. Some days, inspiration seems far away. Thoughts are elsewhere; nothing is quite right even if you are painting work in a series.

What to do? Get to work anyway.

I admire this quote from the exceptional artist, Chuck Close, "Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work."

That is so true. If you consider yourself a professional and wish to earn a living with or just feel good about your craft, you need to show up for work. You cannot afford to wait around for inspiration that is not always going to be there.

"Heading into Glacier National Park" ©Mary Montague Sikes

What about you? Do you wait around for inspiration to strike or do you, as the Nike ads say, "just do it"?