What inspires you as an artist?

I had a little time recently (Read - son on school holidays and allowed to play nintendo for half an hour so Mum can have a moment to herself) to answer a few questions from an editor of an online magazine.

What inspires you as an artist? - an often asked question and one I quite enjoy considering and attempting to answer. For me, 'as an artist', conscious consideration of inspirations is not something I spend time on. Sometimes I feel inspired. A journey and a process has occurred before that moment and will continue to occur (hopefully) beyond the moment and it is not the result of any one thing.

So when I am asked this question (and thankfully it is usually in an email so I can think about it for a day or two) I am initially stumped, then intrigued, then I proffer an answer that is reflective of my mood, attention span and general interest that week and completely different from the last time I was asked.

This weeks answer: Inspiration comes to me through observation and familiarity. When I spend time reflecting on one small element of my daily existence - it could be telegraph poles, geographical markings or a favourite song - my appreciation and understanding of the traits and characteristics of that one thing is heightened. It is this awareness and respect that I attempt to translate in my work.

Quite possibly the vaguest and most general answer I have given to date but it may also be the most honest. No one thing inspires me as an artist. I find inspiration within the process of witnessing life.

This post is merely a record of an incomplete thought. I would love to spend more time thinking about this and maybe at some stage I will. And I remember Oliver Sacks expounding a wonderful theory of creativity that I would like to revisit one day. It's all fascinating...

but maybe I'll just make pots.