Courting Inspiration

The following article was commissioned for the MAY/JUNE 2025 issue of the Visual Artists Ireland News Sheet 

Have you ever found yourself deeply immersed in research or preparing for a show, only to suddenly start seeing your subject of focus everywhere? For me, this often happens with motifs, patterns, or color palettes I’m working with, along with phrases and obscure references. They seem to pop up in the most unexpected places- like while waiting in line at the post office! For some reason, I’ve always taken this as a positive sign, as though I’ve stepped into the slipstream of the work, now fully attuned to its rhythm.

So what’s really happening? There are many ways to interpret this phenomenon, and the explanation you resonate with will likely depend on your own worldview.

One perspective comes from ancient Greece. In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert explores the concept of the daimon- creative spirits believed by the ancient Greeks to assist artists in their work. This view, which Gilbert herself ascribes to, externalizes creativity, suggesting that ideas exist independently and interact with us rather than being solely products of our minds. Plato also described daimons as intermediaries between the divine and the human, offering inspiration and guidance.

Carl Jung later expanded on this idea, linking it to his concept of the collective unconscious. From this perspective, focusing on a particular idea or motif aligns us with a pre-existing archetypal energy that carries its own momentum, drawing relevant experiences into our awareness like a magnet. Many artists, writers, and musicians, including Tom Waits, have described moments when ideas seem to emerge from thin air- a song writes itself, or a melody appears in a dream- as if creativity has a will of its own.

From a scientific standpoint, cognitive psychology provides another angle. The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon (or frequency illusion) describes the experience of suddenly noticing something everywhere after first learning about it. Terry Mullen coined the term in 1994 after realizing that, once he had heard of the German terrorist group Baader-Meinhof, he began noticing references to it frequently in a short span of time. This phenomenon can be explained through two cognitive biases: 1) Selective Attention, where once we’re aware of something, our brain is primed to notice it more often, filtering out unrelated stimuli; and 2) Confirmation Bias, where we tend to favor information that aligns with our existing beliefs, reinforcing the illusion that the occurrence is increasing. 

As an artist, I’ve always embraced a ‘both-and’ approach to reality. For me, the neuroscientific explanation doesn’t diminish the archetypal perspective- rather, both offer valuable insights and together they satisfy a whole-brained understanding of the same phenomenon. What interests me more is how artists can intentionally harness and amplify the creative potential of this effect. So, here are some suggestions, drawn from creative, magical, and psychological practices, to help you tap into this flow and enhance your creative process.

Immersion

Surround yourself with materials related to your focus- whether podcasts, books or films. Curate musical playlists and create both digital and physical moodboards filled with images, colors and textures. Marinating in your subject like this deepens your engagement and primes your mind to notice related elements in your environment, helping to spark new connections.

Dream Journaling

Throughout history, many artists, from Leonardo da Vinci to Frida Kahlo, have documented their dreams in journals to inspire and inform their work. Consider keeping a journal by your bed and immediately capturing your dream the moment you wake up. By doing this regularly, your dream recall will improve dramatically. Over time, you’ll begin to map patterns and synchronicities between your inner and outer worlds, which you can then infuse into your creative work. 

A Magical Approach

Create a ritual altar- this could even be your desk- and adorn it with symbolic items that correspond to your focus. Consider using tarot cards, sigils, or offerings to archetypal energies that resonate with your work. Jungian psychology supports the idea that symbolic engagement with archetypes activates the unconscious, which in turn influences conscious perception, helping to open channels for creative insight.

Subconscious Programming

By combining meditation with focused visualization and affirmations, you can imprint your creative intentions into your subconscious, fine-tuning your ability to recognize opportunities and inspiration aligned with your focus. Research on neuroplasticity reveals that consistently directing our attention creates new neural connections to prioritize that information, making it easier to identify and act on creative impulses as they arise.

Whichever approach you choose- ancient wisdom or modern psychology- the result is the same: immersing yourself in an idea makes it appear everywhere, as if the world is reflecting your inner landscape. The key is to stay open to the flow of inspiration by consistently attuning your attention to the dreams, patterns, and everyday synchronicities that surround you. Most importantly, act on the inspiration you receive. Think of it as a reciprocal relationship: you draw inspiration from the field and give back through your creation, maintaining the cycle. By nurturing this connection, the world will align with your artistic vision, guiding you toward new ideas and opportunities.