Creating Moonrise

Creating Moonrise

I declared 2018 my year of NO travel, and that will be true…after June. So far I’ve spent a month away in India, Sri Lanka, and Florida (that sounds a lot less exciting after the other two). Soon I’ll be heading to Tennessee and Wisconsin before going to Greece and Maine. That’s all by the third week of March.

With that pace it is extremely difficult to keep up routines. I find myself in airports, hotels, Airbnbs, grandma’s houses. I move so quickly from one place to the next that they barely have time to stick in my memories. When your circumstances change, how can you keep a routine? I do my best. Yoga everyday, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. Lots of water. Emails every morning. Reading everyday. Outside of that, nothing is the same.

I’m home for a few days in between trips, exhausted from traveling, body aching, but all I wanted was to create – freely, without interruption. Instead of pushing myself beyond what is wise into the cold for a photo shoot, I searched my computer for long-forgotten images. There I found the spark of something interesting. I didn’t know what it was, just that it could be.

I found an underwater image that struck me as graceful and full of emotion. I had already edited those up for the most part, wasn’t interested in redoing them. I wanted something new. I started to look at the image differently, thinking that the bubbles looked like stars. And so I began creating what I knew could be something interesting. Watch the editing process here:

It is wildly important to act on our creative urges, in whatever way is available to us, in whatever way feels right. I find it necessary to keep motivated. So often we talk about what is recommend to stay healthy: good food, exercise, fresh air, etc. But something I vehemently believe we need to add to that list is creativity. An outlet for our imagination. And I would put that before most else.

How often do you exercise your imagination, release your creativity and make something for yourself? 

I’ve spent a long time letting go of the word “good” in this context. I bet everyone here has had the experience of not creating because what you were making didn’t seem good enough. Now that I’ve had some distance from my process of creating, from my body of work, I can see much more clearly. There are works I create that are good and bad. Some that will remain, others that will be forgotten. In the moment they all feel so important, and they are. But what is important is not how they are judged, but how they made you feel while creating them.

When was the last time you did
something completely for yourself?

Do you notice a change in your health
when you set your imagination free?

“Moonrise”, February 2018

Model: Sara Silkin
Dress: Michelle Hebert

11 thoughts on “Creating Moonrise

  1. You know that my imagination is always exercised and creativity is ready to jump from the mind, but I confess that lately I have not given life to my imagination and creativity. Unfortunately I cannot remember the last time I did something entirely just for myself! OMG! I have not even run, which is something I love doing! However, I’m still recovering from one week with influenza (H1N1) and if you do not mind, I’ll go now set free my imagination to see if I feel better. 😉 I hope your friend spent a pleasant time at ibis. Stay well! xx

  2. Hi, Brooke,

    Just read this in newsletter, so, thought I would comment. I do so in hopes someone else will understand. I know you do.

    If you don’t take care of YOU, first, you will eventually not have any ‘you’ left for you. LOL

    I spent a lifetime taking care of others – three children, 2 husbands, various assorted friends, family and pets. I’m older, now. I’m 63. It has come to me, finally, that I need to take some time for ME!

    And, you know what? I AM!

    I carved out MY time for getting on Photoshop and having a good play first thing (almost) in the morning! It works for me, as I have no one to be responsible for, now, but myself. I have made my art my priority. Even then, obligations to friends and challenges I participate in, I have to make time for just being ME!

    If you don’t find this self-preserving realization soon enough, one day, you’ll wake up and realise, you’re 63, as I am, and have yet to realize MANY of MY dreams! It’s NEVER too late, but, thank the goddesses I even came to this awareness!

    Your words, and the words of like-minded gurus like you, helped me to do it, finally, Brooke!

    For that, I am grateful.

    Su

      1. I am 30 and have made others my priority all of my life, and I am now changing that for the same reason you said. So thank you for the well said inspiring words! <3

  3. I love this photo, I would never have thought to use the bubbles as stars, and they look great!
    I try to make sure I always create for myself, but as my career advances, it could get hard to stay with that.

    P.S.
    Florida sounds really boring after everywhere else! LOL

  4. Good day,
    My name is Justine Hammond and I admire your work and would be interested into collaborating. Please inform me on your thoughts and I look forward to it.
    Thank you,
    Justine.H
    – Kamoni Collection
    (909)232-3397
    Instagram: KamoniCollection

  5. Brooke, your work inspires me and so many others! I see you’ll be in Tennessee. Is it for a workshop? I live in coastal north Carolina and would definitely make the trip for a workshop or just a chance to hang out and learn or assist!

  6. Last year I had so many projects, so many things I was going to do and all of a sudden I ran out of fuel. Due to dayjob-stress and mental exhaustion I had to take some time off and just relax. All day-job issues are fixed now and I’m finally in a good place again where I can feel my mind being active. So two days ago I headed to the woods and tried to create and everything felt so yuk because I wanted to end up with a perfect first picture of the year. I tried to let it go and tell myself it didn’t need to be perfect. I just spend 2,5 hours in a sunny forest by myself and it was worth it because I’m just getting myself back in the swing of things. It’s a work in progress. Sorry for the rant. I love your creations and this piece resonated with me even if you made it for yourself, for the sake of being creative

    Take care Brooke! And good luck with your travels!

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