Desert of Inspiration
Creativity is an act of trust
Trust that there is a vision in you
That is waiting to take form
Whether it is a new choice
Or a new creation
If you ask, listen, and wait
Inspiration will inevitably follow
~ Kim McElroy
THE STORY BEHIND THE ART
When I had the inspiration for this painting, I was experiencing much change in my life, and for the first time, I experienced an artist’s block. I found insight when I read a quote by author Caroline Myss, referring to her experience of going through the creative void that she called “the desert.” I immediately identified with this term and took comfort that another creative person had navigated this desert and come out on the other side.
I chose a Friesian horse as her companion. Though this wasn’t the type of horse that would live in the desert, this desert was a dreamscape, and the woman’s exotic yet unconventional beauty called for a robust and stalwart horse to be her guide.
I had the unusual impulse to leave the horizon unfinished. Later I realized this was a perfect metaphor for the unformed potential the horizon represents.
This painting is also the card for The Wisdom of "Not Doing" in the Way of the Horse Equine Archetypes for Self-Discovery Book and Card Set by Linda Kohanov.
