Inspiration as a Koan
Monk Climbing Steps pen and pencil Koan: In Zen Buddhism, a koan is a phrase from a sutra or teaching on Zen realization; it points to the nature of ulitmate reality. Essential to a koan is paradox - that which is "beyond thinking", which transcends the logical or conceptual. It cannot be solved by reason, and requires a leap to another level of comprehension. Inspiration is a curious thing. Why does something inspire one artist, but not another? What is it about the object, or scene that appeals to the artist as a subject? As for myself, I tend to draw on my interests (fortunately, I collect interests like a black dress collects pet hair), though I do occasionally get inspired by something new, which is always exciting. The themes that have consistently provided me with inspiration are: nature, particularly plants and anything involving water; Japanese art and culture; spirituality, with a heavy emphasis on Zen Buddhism and Saint Francis of Assisi; the Greek Islands; and bo