Mid-Week Inspiration.

At 7am, I got on the elevator on the 22nd floor to ride down to catch the shuttle for school. Right around the 17th or 18th floor, a giant golden retriever by the name of Sugar got on with me. I knew today was going to be a good day.

Then this happened (around lunchtime), and I was on cloud 9 for the rest of the day. This got me thinking about inspiration. Inspirational things. Things that inspire creativity, drive, progress, real change.

Inspiration comes from all over the place:  teachers, friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, television, celebrities, magazines, religion. The list goes on and on . . . But then there is the inspiration that comes from inside. And I started thinking about my artwork and where it comes from:  why do I do what I do? What inspires me? What inspires other artists?

So I decided that each Wednesday my posts would feature something creatively inspiring to help get us up and over the hump of the week . . . These short, focused posts will include everything from interviews of artist friends to inspirational song lyrics, colorful music videos to exciting books. A little light to show us that, sure enough, the end of the tunnel is in fact near.

First up? OK Go.

In the past several months I have been posting a lot about OK Go. They create projects that bring joy:  joy to themselves in the process of making the work and joy to others who get to watch or experience the work, live or through video. They love confetti, they love color, and most importantly they love dogs. Their creative drive is both inspiring and mesmerizing. They are able to create so much out of seemingly simple things like treadmills and Dollar Store finds, and at the same time they create massive projects like being featured on a commercial during the Superbowl by building a track for a specialized car that plays instruments strapped onto the track while driving and singing. And let's not forget about possibly the largest, most inventive Rube Goldberg machine ever to be created:  I love that they let the sounds of the items falling down or water splashing remain in the video.

They are huge supporters of creativity, which I completely relate to . . .   

They continually post process videos on YouTube, which I watch on repeat and learn from.

And then they make gorgeous videos. A couple dancing. Dancing and beautiful color:  my two loves.

However, my most favorite video of all features the Notre Dame marching band and some pretty fantastic costuming. My 2nd favorite video features a trained goose, which I have previously posted here.   

What I like about OK Go is that they are willing to make bold, creative choices and take risks with their music. They are establishing their own path, continually pushing boundaries and enabling creative progress. Inspiring indeed.

Next Wednesday?  We meet the lovely lady behind Goats For Sandy.