Artistic Inspiration in Daily Life: Nature, Seasons, City, Religion, and Tradition

Art is an indispensable part of our lives. Looking around, we find instances of art everywhere. Whether an artist or a common man, its presence is felt by all. Both consciously and unconsciously, art impacts our thoughts, feelings, experiences, emotions and observations. You need not be a born artist to nurture art; it can be cultivated by anyone.

Although talent, expertise and innovativeness are the basic qualities an artist requires to produce artistic works, moreover, it’s something beyond that. Why is it so? Because a person, or in other words, a layman, perceives art in their surroundings through creativity, imagination and vision, which are innate characteristics of humans. People get immense joy and encouragement whenever they recognize various artistic components through their senses, which in turn increases their power to express and communicate with others. So, let’s explore the different ways art inspires people in their daily lives.

WHAT IS ART?

Art is a mode of conveying our thoughts, feelings and emotions through various activities by engaging creative and inventive skills that generate outcomes or products of technical expertise, aesthetic appeal, notion and emotive power.

Art includes painting, sculpture, architecture, music, dance, theatre, film, photography and literature as mediums of expression.

THE INFLUENCE OF ART IN OUR DAILY LIFE

We have been living under the clasp of artistic elements for ages. The paintings on the walls of the caves of the pre-historic era, the ancient architectural structures and sculptures, the music and dance of the primitive people mentioned in the ancient musicological text and similar other things are the evidence of early artistic influences of human civilization. 

Everyday art is influencing our lives and there are some key sources that serve as our artistic inspiration:

Nature

When we are talking about artistic inspiration, nature is our primary source of inspiration since all living beings, including humans, are creations of nature. The vast landscapes covered with different kinds of trees, plants, bushes and grass showcase various patterns of different shades of green.

The mutli-coloured fruits and flowers, the complexly designed leaves, the sunrises and sunsets and the intensely hued skies offer some of the most intriguing elements of art.

The rich flora and fauna, including animals, birds and insects, yield diverse topics and artistic examples that influence the artists to express their emotions through their paintings, writings, poetry and storytelling.

The earnest study of the temperament and behaviour of different animals and species in our nature empowers the observational quality of artists, due to which they develop deep love and understanding of nature. The singing of birds, the sounds of the leaves and breeze, the rhythm of the meandering river and the dancing of the peacock motivate the musicians, singers, percussionists and dancers to produce unique instances of musical and dance pieces.  

Seasonal changes

Seasons are part of nature, but their contribution in influencing the artistic minds is worth mentioning. Each season with its own peculiar characteristics ushers in unique colour combinations, textures and concepts in the landscape and sky and thus creates a special ambience.

Every season presents a distinct mood, like the springtime flowers, summertime warmth and sunlight, the snowy winters, the autumn leaves and the rainy and wet monsoons, which impacts artistic minds, urging them to create something innovative through painting, photography, music, dance, poetry, etc.  

In Hindustani Classical music, there are many Ragas that are based on seasons. For example, Raga Basant and Raga Bahar are Ragas of spring, Raga Megh and Raga Miyan Malhar are Ragas of monsoon, Raga Shree is a Raga of winter, Raga Bhairav is a Raga of summer and so on.

City life

The city life offers varied kinds of artistic elements. The tall buildings of different shapes, sizes and colours, the flyovers, bridges and other interesting structures of architecture, the array of trees on the sides of the roads and the light and shadow effects created between these buildings and trees inspire the artists to create their own depictions of these in the form of their artworks.

The diverse markets of food items, groceries, clothing and textiles, ornaments, electronics and many more stacked with colourful commodities captivate the artists’ imagination.

The busy streets filled with a variety of big and small vehicles in contrast with adjacent calm and quiet parks and gardens possess a vibrant spirit that attracts the creative minds to interpret their views through storytelling, drawing, painting, photography and music making to portray various social issues, personal narratives and regional history.

The study of different kinds of street art, including wall paintings, hoardings, signboards and the street lights glowing at night, are wonderful testaments to untold stories that an artist can perceive through their imagination.

Religion

Religious places like temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, etc. are the architectural exemplars that bear beautiful artworks both inside and outside that enrich our artistic tastes. The religious paintings, textures, sculptures, manuscripts, the decorated deities, religious bhajans, prayer and worship songs are perfect instances of art that influence people to sing and compose devotional songs, dance and create artworks.

The Radha Krishna Bhajans, Guru Nanak Bhajans, Christmas religious songs, Muslim devotional songs, Ajanta Ellora Art and Mughal Art consisting of paintings and architecture are all elements of superior creativity based on religion.

culture and tradition

Culture and tradition have a great influence on our artistic taste. Each culture has its own traditional festivals, music, dance, rituals, paintings, crafts and food, which become its identity. After studying different cultures and traditions, the artist can draw inspiration from these to create his original artworks of excellence. Catering to different cultures maintains the diversity of artworks.

Using the traditional techniques as a base, the artists can combine the contemporary styles and produce unique creative embodiments, thus, inspiring the amalgamation of culture, tradition and innovation.

home and interior

Home and interior are furnished with ample artistic elements. The painted walls with coordinated sets of curtains, the flooring, the decorated ceiling, the furniture influence our artistic tastes to a great extent.

Our living rooms have so many artefacts, wall hangings, photo frames, attractive oil or acrylic paintings taking a portion of the walls and showpieces, hanging lights and chandeliers, tastefully decorated sofa sets along with beautifully designed cushions and electronic things like TV sets, music systems, etc.

Our bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms are all aesthetically decorated, which motivates our artistic minds.

Fashion

Fashion plays an important role in influencing our creativity. The different kinds of clothing all over the world, the traditional attire, the ornaments of various designs, the attractive footwear, the different hairstyles and the makeup stimulate the artists’ imaginations daily.

For example, let’s talk about two very famous traditional Indian sarees, Kanjivaram and Tant sarees.

The Kanjivaram is a pure silk saree made in the state of Tamil Nadu and generally worn by the brides. It is complexly woven in gold and silver threads and has a very rich appearance.

The Tant is a traditional Bengali cotton saree. Lightweight and transparent, make it stand out. A thick border and a beautiful Pallav, woven with a variety of floral, paisley, and other creative motifs, are characteristics of the classic Tant sari.

So, here we can see how different these two traditional sarees are. The exceptional and distinct artistry in these two sarees can very well take an artist to a trance.

print medium

The bright and attractive graphics in the advertisements found in the newspapers and magazines, the layouts of the newspapers and magazines, cover pages of books, advertisements in the hoardings, leaflets, brochures, etc. create a deep impact not only on the artist’s mind but also on the common man.

digital media and television

These platforms serve as hubs for artistic expressions. Now, the interesting colour combinations, designs, animations, cinematography, videography and photography are all just a scroll away. These are our 24/7 mediums of entertainment and education. Our minds get enriched when we watch films, web series, various shows, music and dance presentations, art shows and art tutorials.

CONCLUSION

What have we realized from this article? That we can’t imagine life without art. Right from waking up in the morning till going to bed at night, we are witnessing art in various forms. If there was no art, life would have become so boring, monotonous and meaningless. Not only artists, but each and every person is inspired by art in day-to-day life.