Creative Process: INSPIRATION (Preparation)

Last February, I talked about the creative process and its distinct phases. Thanks for your interest and support. Join me as I begin describing my experience in developing each stage. Come on, rattle your dags, and let’s get going!

© 2020 Louise Levergneux.

INSPIRATION, Preparation

Absorbing knowledge, experience, insight and context for an imaginative idea. Brainstorming and gathering raw material and data to interpret a “vision” in which an image, a sight, a sound… can be articulated in the mind.

This first stage of the creative process is where I define the need, desire, or problem, and collect generic data. It's a time for me to completely immerse myself in a particular subject — this for me is an ethereal phase!

I typically need to feel passionate about a project for the finished product to be successful. I gather and absorb as much raw material as possible to allow the information to enter my subconscious and stimulate the sentiment I want to express. This might be the reason why each artists' book demands a lengthy period of time to develop. Drawing on personal memories can be exhausting, especially going back numerous years. Though, it is enjoyable to grasp the personal growth one goes through during the progression of an art project.

I also need to discern the tools I utilize to accomplish the desired look and feel of my books. I have enjoyed photography and collage for a long time, and my digital camera is the accessory to this art medium. So, it’s no surprise that Photoshop has been my creative tool of choice. The software permits the exploration of ideas without constriction or boundaries. I can easily blend reality with fantasy by retouching, editing or transforming photos — composites — to capture my imagination.

Another tool I implement to explore my recollections includes surfing the internet to brainstorm ideas. Conversations are also a good device to get insight and to inculcate in my consciousness the many aspects of a theme.

In late 2021, I was delighted to be indeed inspired again. The idea didn’t merely and suddenly light up in my head. It all began from the premise that the last two years have been challenging for us all. I profoundly missed the personal contact with friends and family, especially my elderly mom back in Canada. Loneliness set in and caused one of the longest slumps ever felt in my art career. I wanted to feel the normality of life, the joy, the freedom… again. The only way for me to explore all those feelings, was to be nostalgic. The past made me reflect, and the farther back I went, the more events and memories of innocent times permeated my dreams and my life…

© 2020 Louise Levergneux. Be happy when you think about a good memory. That’s as simple as it gets: Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. — Dr. Seuss

In 1968, I was fourteen with quiet and gentle innocence. I was struck with the winds of love. A teenage crush caused my heart to beat a little faster. Reminiscing and taking into consideration any reality or object of an irrational or foolish attachment — I got creative. I began to interpret a vision of the project.

My mind was going many miles per hour, and thoughts enveloped me for days. For me, this is part of the process. The word infatuation came to mind and encompassed my every thought as I grasped how lovely it was to have been fourteen and discovering the opposite sex.

Looking back at my youth and reminiscing of the time when I became aware of my sensuality, brought me back to happier times. Who could have made my heart beat faster?

My connection to the years 1965-1973 was getting stronger. With photography being the base of my art, I suddenly embraced the need to look into my family albums. The photographs illustrated my youth and innocence!

Thanks to the internet, I started searching for movies and TV shows predominantly of that period. While going down the rabbit hole of the Internet, I was presented with celebrity idols I pined over throughout high school with my girlfriends. This task helped to rekindle that flame that flickers in the hearts of teenagers for celebrity idols and songs during a special period of life.

This phase lasted a few weeks as I revelled in “puppy-love.” Stay tuned for the observation phase where I start to explore some themes as I continue the discussion on the INSPIRATION-Observastion Phase. The topic will get more concrete.

© 2020 Louise Levergneux.

Guylaine Couture and I have enjoyed our conversation on the “Creative Process”. With that in mind, here is Guylaine’s response to my INSPIRATION-Preparation post:

The book begins. First there is the choice of subject, something that inspires and interests us to spend time on. Your word "infatuation" is very well chosen. For my part, I always work on several projects at the same time, a limited edition book and an artist's book. They move at different speeds. I like this way of working. When I think about one, I technically work on the other.

I see that you started your research on your feelings, but that you have now extended it to the TV shows of the time, the atmosphere, etc. It's super interesting.

Like you, the pandemic brought me back to my memories. In my case, I even moved to the region of my childhood. This downtime allowed us to reflect and sometimes brought us back to periods of our lives that we had forgotten.

© 2022 Guylaine Couture. Guylaine’s collection of articles she read as she developed her ideas.

In the creative process, the first step is that of research in the broad sense: looking everywhere, drawing, making connections, finding inspirations or old ideas that we would like to try, etc. This portion of the work can be more or less time consuming, but it is essential to have all the cards, possibilities and options in hand before making any choices. I try to be very open-minded throughout the process especially at this stage. I do things, I build structures, I read, I write down my ideas or draw them. When they're on paper, my brain is free to continue searching.

© 2022 Guylaine Couture. Here are some of Guylaine’s print tests.

I am currently finalizing a book on consciousness. I have read a large number of scientific articles on the subject, (…step 1). So many, that I didn’t know where to start or what I wanted to say. The core had been an article on the consciousness of pigs. For me, that had to be the heart of the book. Finally, after careful consideration, it won’t even be in the final version.

Consequently, each book is different and has its own life. My intention is always the same, to sensitize people through the artist's book format on a subject that challenges me.

The Process of Creativity

I appreciated all your personal messages in response to my last blog post “Struggle with Creativity.” You took the time to follow and respond, this made me smile, thank you.

Guylaine Couture, an artist friend in Magog, Québec, mentioned I should relax, have fun, and to “go with the flow.” With my personality, the process of creativity has always been a bit difficult. You see, I’m impatient! I dream an idea, I plan, and I finish a book in early morning dreams. It is so completed in my mind’s eye. I want to perceive it as published NOW! Why not?

© 1978 Fred Maheux (artist collection). After my meaningful discussion with Guylaine, I decided to go through the family albums and reminisce on my creative process.

These comments nudged me just enough for the mind to wonder and transport my thoughts back to simpler times. When I studied with Fred Maheux, my mentor some 43 years ago, learning the process of creativity was fun and exciting. We were four artists who met weekly to discuss our respective daily sketches. We would choose the best drawing, then develop the idea during the next week. Our subsequent meeting was to discuss the best way to produce our final piece. The interaction, the discussions, and sometimes a change in direction inevitably presented me with the joy of the process and its development...

© 1979 Louise Levergneux. This drawing and watercolour were inspired by a Pinto Bean which Fred brought in the studio for an incentive.

© 1979 Louise Levergneux. The following item brought in the studio for discussion was a cross. One sketch out of many, the result is the final watercolour on the right. (sorry it's not clear, it’s from an old slide)

© 1979 Louise Levergneux. Drawing and final watercolour of a self-portrait.

After some discussion, Guylaine sent me her creative process to share with you, my readers.

Je suis passionnée par le processus créatif depuis des années. J’ai essayé toutes sortes de démarche, d’exercices, par moi-même et avec mes étudiants.

En graphisme, mon principal métier au départ, il faut être créatif sur commande, répondre au client. Comme artiste cela change bien sûr, mais le processus reste le même. Je pourrais vous en parler longtemps.

Maintenant que je suis une artiste à temps plein, je me fais un devoir de toujours pratiquer même et surtout quand l’inspiration n’y est pas. Tout devient prétexte à essayer des choses : des défis en ligne, des collages dans mes cahiers, des cartes ou autres courts projets qui ne demandent pas trop de réflexion. Ça peut être d’aller sketcher quelque part, il faut retrouver le plaisir de faire. En profiter pour sortir de sa zone de confort, de nos automatismes et de délaisser les écrans.

J’aime bien dire qu’en créativité, la quantité est plus importante que la qualité. Si vous faites bien vos devoirs, la qualité sera quelque part dans la quantité d’essais, de recherche, de tests que vous aurez faits. La valeur ajoutée est que dans cette pratique vous aurez appris des choses, c’est inévitable.

Avoir des débuts de projets n’est pas un échec, c’est de la recherche. Ces idées n’aboutissent pas? Ça fait parti du processus, ça nourrit notre pratique même si on ne les termine pas.

Dans les périodes un peu creuses, il faut visiter des expos, prendre le temps de regarder des livres d’art qu’on a acheté et qu’on n’a jamais vraiment regardé. Il faut nourrir l’inconscient de l’artiste que nous sommes.

Ne pas avoir d’attente, ne pas vouloir absolument trouver, accepter l’échec est sans doute la chose la plus difficile à intégrer dans une pratique artistique. Suivre la vague… Guylaine Couture

I have been passionate about the creative process for years. I have attempted all kinds of approaches and exercises, by myself and with my students.

In graphic design, which was my main profession, you have to be creative on command, to respond to the client. As an artist this changes of course, but the process remains the same. I could go on and on.

Now that I am a full-time artist, I make it a point to always practice even and especially when inspiration is not there. Everything becomes an excuse to investigate things: online challenges, collages in my notebooks, cards or other short projects that don’t require too much thought. It could be sketching somewhere, one must rediscover the pleasure of doing. The idea is to embrace the opportunity to get out of our comfort zone, of our automatisms, and to abandon screens.

I like to say that in creativity, quantity is more important than quality. If you do your homework well, the quality will be somewhere in the quantity of trials, research, and tests that you will have carried out. The added value is that while practicing you will have learned things — that is inevitable.

Having the beginnings of projects is not a failure; it is research. These ideas don’t come to fruition? It’s part of the process, and it feeds our practice.

In the slow periods, you have to visit exhibitions, take the time to look at art books bought and that you have never really looked at. We must feed the unconscious artist that we are.

Not having expectations, not absolutely wanting to find, accepting failure is arguably the hardest thing to integrate into an artistic practice. Follow the vibe... Guylaine Couture

© 2021 Guylaine Couture. Book made in spring 2021 — "Interest & exchange in the dirt." Guylaine did a lot of experience in printing. Also seen in the next two photos.

© 2021 Guylaine Couture. Guylaine wanted to print from a carton box of milk and then tried all kinds of vegetables directly on her press to see the textures she could get out of it for her book "Interest & exchange in the dirt."

© 2021 Guylaine Couture. Always for the same book "Interest & exchange in the dirt" , Guylaine tried to make paper threads following a technique discovered on the internet.

© 2021 Guylaine Couture. "The Detailed Correspondence", book created in the summer of 2021. Guylaine wanted to make a series of false stamps by trying various ways of doing them since she had a few colours and 25 copies to make. With some testing here and there, Guylaine finally used a gelli plate with acrylic.

© 2021 Guylaine Couture. For Guylaine’s last book "4 seconds" made in the summer of 2021, she tried drawing, sketching, collage and salvaging old prints. The result is quite interesting.

© 2021 Guylaine Couture. More drawing, sketching, collage and salvaging old prints for "4 seconds."

The correspondence received from my previous post inspired my thoughts and ideas. The nudge is what I needed. As a result, next month, I will outline the fun I’m having with my research on what might be a new project. Many thanks again for your comments, while I share my curiosity of my art world.

Struggle with Creativity

Exhaustion can be problematic. In the last six months, making our tiny home our own was crucial. For me, a new beginning signals a time to nest. After four years of traveling, experiencing a nomadic life and all the while meeting with artists and librarians, the need to settle down before getting back to business became a priority.

At this time people seem to be asking questions about the usefulness of art. A deep struggle started to envelop my psyche — the usual slump that comes about after the high of publishing an artists’ book or two. Retirement even came to the forefront of my mind. Does an artist ever retire? How? More importantly, Why?

In the 90s, during a downturn of creativity after the passing of my father, I suffered through a lengthy break and considered every second of life important enough to record. That’s when there was a significant change in my work. Equinox, a nine year project, was the result of this period of reflection.

After moving to Utah in December 2008, coping with an unfamiliar city, state, and country was not an easy task. I felt isolated in my studio, but slowly continued the production and distribution of artists’ books while keeping in touch with contacts in Canada. As months went by, the feeling of being alone brought on the need to explore alternative avenues for both development and distribution.

I joined the Artists’ Book Program at the University of Utah in 2011. During the countless hours of conversation and communication with Marnie Powers-Torrey and fellow learners, I produced books while exploring various methods and materials. This outburst of creativity lasted seven years.

In the past, whenever I traveled, my mind went into power mode and explored many ideas. This creativity causes me to visualize newness in life and facilitates my ability to narrate a story. During deep sleep, my mind dreams up, researches, and completes many books. What produces this burst of ideas?

Nowadays my « idea drawer » contains many projects, but they don’t seem to come to realization. Something is missing — motivation, excitement, exploration... The fizz dries up quickly once the dream state has passed. I’m looking forward to the next hot streak. Hope it’s soon!

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Entrance to the exhibition “Immersive Van Gogh” created by Massimiliano Siccardi, Scottsdale, Arizona.

I have been wondering what would trigger the future wave of creativity in my private world. Listening to artists online explaining their work nudged me a bit. Attending the exhibition a week ago entitled “Immersive Van Gogh” transported me to a unique dimension, as it transformed the iconic paintings of Vincent van Gogh into animated, wall-filling projections. Being immersed in the show sparked passion and excitement. I hope it lasts long enough to develop a daydream idea.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. The beginning of the “Immersive Van Gogh.”

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Completely immersed by Van Gogh’s paintings.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Van Gogh’s powerful flowers.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. If the “Immersive Van Gogh” exhibition wasn’t going to do it, I thought the Arizona's Superior Burro Run would. We met a very friendly micro-mini burro. Is she cute or what?

The subject of my hopefully next artists’ book begins with the scenario: “50 years later, during a pandemic, a teenage infatuation flashes to mind.” More on this untitled project in the next few months.

Book Arts News

Enjoy the new look of my Email Campaigns!

How are you all doing, after such a scorching summer (especially here in Arizona)? I’m looking forward to Fall with its cooler weather. I have been busy nesting more than producing artists’ books. My mind is cogitating on new ideas while my body is recovering from heat intolerance!

2021 © Louise Levergneux. Fishhook Barrel Cactus photographed in the resort where I live in Apache Junction, Arizona. It is a very prevalent in Arizona. Barrel Cactus (different types) are round, squat cacti that can live as long as 130 years. The most interesting fact about this cactus is that is often leans towards the southwest, so it can be used as a compass of sorts if you’re stranded in the middle of the desert.

2021 © Louise Levergneux. Fishhook Barrel Cactus photographed in the resort where I live in Apache Junction, Arizona. It is a very prevalent in Arizona. Barrel Cactus (different types) are round, squat cacti that can live as long as 130 years. The most interesting fact about this cactus is that is often leans towards the southwest, so it can be used as a compass of sorts if you’re stranded in the middle of the desert.

The last few weeks I re-evaluated internet services, softwares, hours spent preparing posts, writing... This administrivia will make work flow better and less time consumed on managing different accounts and passwords. Those little tasks take so much time, but need to be done.

So, with all the nesting in our tiny home/studio, painting walls, cabinets, doors... I was able to achieve a home like feel to our small abode. This type of work which I have not done in long time triggered many memories. I enjoyed it, and I’m sure it will bring a fresh point of view and creativity for my next book with the working title “Secrets,” after the frenzy settles down.

Receiving news (links below) from galleries and museums through the month is uplifting. Many thanks, great work!

How can you not be excited by shows at 23 Sandy Gallery. The last exhibition through November 20, 2021, had many fantastic works. The International Juried Exhibition of Book Arts is entitled UNSEEN and is on view at the gallery form & concept. When imperceptible phenomena burst into view, revolutionary changes may follow. We learned this in 2020, as an invisible but deadly virus spread across the world, an urgent racial justice movement illuminated dark societal realities, and humanity’s long-simmering crimes against the environment unleashed fires and floods. Unseen forces can shape our lives and surface in unexpected ways, often altering our behaviors and worldviews if and when we are made aware of them. This exhibition explores the idea of the “unseen”—physically, psychologically, and philosophically.

Artist's Books Unshelved is an ongoing video series exploring selected pieces from the Cynthia Sears Artist’s Books Collection at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

I love seeing emails from Robert Bolick in my inbox — it typically means goodies for the eyes and mind. Robert Bolick curates Books On Books Collection.

John Cutrone, Director of the Jaffe Center for Book Arts at Florida Atlantic University Libraries, is curator of the Jaffe Collection, and host for Book Arts 101 : Home Edition. John unpacks new items for the JCBA's permanent collection on each episode. These episodes can also be viewed at JCBA's Vimeo Channel.

I love reading blog posts written by artists. I equally enjoy receiving news on newly produced works.

If you are looking for a bit of humour, Big Jump Press blog written by Sarah Bryant is always encouraging.

I enjoy receiving news from Magog, Québec, through the blog of Guylaine Couture. You can also view her most recent book “Interest & exchange in the dirt,“ part of the exhibition UNSEEN.

Check out Cathryn Miller’s blog to follow what Byopia Press is teaching us these days.

2021 © Amandine Nabarra. The last Breath

2021 © Amandine Nabarra. The last Breath

Amandine Nabarra’s blog presents us with her sensitive, well designed artists’ books.

2021 © Thomas Parker Williams. Two Moons, published by Thomas; text and poetry selection by Mary Agnes Williams.

2021 © Thomas Parker Williams. Two Moons, published by Thomas; text and poetry selection by Mary Agnes Williams.

If conceptual sources from the theme of mathematics, music, literature, theology, philosophy, astronomy, history, natural sciences, architecture, and Eastern thought are of interest, view Thomas Parker Williams artists’ books.

Read more on Philip Zimmermann’s recent artists’ book Delirium and watch this short video.

Let's not forget Helen Hiebert and her superbly, well-informed posts on papermaking. Helen Hiebert video — All About Helen Hiebert Studio.

And last but no least, reading information coming from the BOOK_ARTS-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU can be eye opening. Sara Halpert, Museum Manager at The Printing Museum in Carson, California, compiled THE ULTIMATE PRINTING MAP where you can examine local places of interest in your corner of the world.

Videos that are part of this post are viewable only on my website!

Need to get back to work and read more news coming via email. Thanks for keeping me informed. Oh! By the way, Let me say that working with Squarespace’s Email Campaign feature is so much easier than Mailchimp. What has been your experience?

Archiving and the Past

Last May, after gathering the rest of our belongings in Utah, I realized we possessed boxes of DVDs stored to the rim full of photos. Living in a compact space and thinking of our carbon footprint, an extra 1TB LaCie mobile external hard drive was purchased as noted at the end of last month’s post. July, was spent re-organizing and copying photos from a couple of portable external drives and many DVDs to an older 1TB and duplicating these files to a new 1TB. Duplication and backup in the digital world are important!

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Over 72 DVDs and CDs stored on 1TB. What to do with all these jewel cases and other leftover unused DVDs and CDs?

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Over 72 DVDs and CDs stored on 1TB. What to do with all these jewel cases and other leftover unused DVDs and CDs?

By the way, for any of you who still utilize DVDs or CDs to store files, photos, or music, I have 20 unused DVD-R (4.7 GB) and 6 CD-R (700 MB) available for only $10 + shipping. Also available are the DVD jewel cases shown above for 25¢ each plus shipping. If you are interested, please email me.

After a week of archiving personal photos and those taken for the production of artists’ books, memories rushed to mind bringing the past and my career path to the forefront.

While in college, a professor described the visual elements of my work as seen through the eyes of a photographer. At that time, the intricacies (settings, functions, buttons, menus, icons, and dials) of a SLR camera were cryptic to me. I didn't understand the comparison. Now that the foundation of my work starts with a DSLR camera in hand, I understand!

I have been fortunate for the friendship of many mentors along my career. They encouraged me to develop a strong work ethic, which is still used today when preparing ideas for an artists’ book. Back in the early 1980s, I taught drawing to students in the world of publication and layout — Graphic Arts — for a few years. When we moved to Toronto, an associate of my husband assisted in the development of certain softwares. He supplied me with Illustrator ‘88 and Adobe Photoshop .63 (before the introduction of layers).

© 1988 Louise Levergneux. During the late 80's, I was learning all about Illustrator and Photoshop, at the time my production was sculptural and involved plexiglass and coloured pencil drawings, collaged material, and kinetic parts. While archiving photos, I noticed an altered, pop-up artists’ book. This made me realize my future media of choice began long ago — interesting!

© 1988 Louise Levergneux. “Kissing in the Energies of Greece” or slide number G107, was inspired by my collection of pop-up books.

© 1988 Louise Levergneux. “Kissing in the Energies of Greece” or slide number G107, was inspired by my collection of pop-up books.

© 1988 Louise Levergneux. G107 was part of an exhibition titled “The Changer of the Changed” at the Kozak Gallery in Toronto, Ontario, in October 1988.

© 1988 Louise Levergneux. G107 was part of an exhibition titled “The Changer of the Changed” at the Kozak Gallery in Toronto, Ontario, in October 1988.

Adobe needed to explore the visual artist’s point of view without any knowledge of photography versus the application of a software product based on photography. From this understanding, the application improved to be what it is today — a fully fledged image editor. This opportunity introduced a particular freedom to my skills of photo manipulation and montage on the Mac for the last 30 years.

Learning different software programs helped with future contracts including page design and layouts for publications and the creation of posters. A print shop owner in Ottawa, Ontario, instructed me on the steps for prepping my files for printing. Subsequently, there were lots of self-learning and digging deep into Photoshop online.

For all those years, I didn’t realize, I was educating myself for the development and creation of my own artists’ books. It was interesting to view old photos I integrated in my books. These were good memories and I’m grateful that all these diverse activities brought me closer to my goal as an artist.

© 1996 Louise Levergneux. The large format of “Memories of My Memories” was developed as part of an installation at Gallery 101 in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1997. The size of the book was 59.69 X 77.47 Cm (23.5 X 30.5 inches).

© 1996 Louise Levergneux. “Memories of My Memories” was collected by The Library and Archives Canada, Gatineau, Québec, in 2007.

© 1996 Louise Levergneux. “Memories of My Memories” was collected by The Library and Archives Canada, Gatineau, Québec, in 2007.

© 1999 Louise Levergneux. In 1999, I participated in a mailing art project at Struts Gallery in Sackville, New Brunswick. Without knowing an accordion book format was chosen and bound to look like a package with brown paper and twine.

© 1999 Louise Levergneux. In 1999, I participated in a mailing art project at Struts Gallery in Sackville, New Brunswick. Without knowing an accordion book format was chosen and bound to look like a package with brown paper and twine.

© 1999 Louise Levergneux. The inside of “Wind and Water” a double sided accordion presenting a 360° view of our back and front garden in Rockland, Ontario.

© 1999 Louise Levergneux. The inside of “Wind and Water” a double sided accordion presenting a 360° view of our back and front garden in Rockland, Ontario.

© 1999 Louise Levergneux. Detail look at “Wind and Water”.

© 1999 Louise Levergneux. Detail look at “Wind and Water”.

So, here I am today after decades of working with Photoshop creating and distributing artists’ books that incorporates digital photography as a device that expresses my interest in the concepts of memory and identity.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. The 20th Anniversary of City Shields.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. The 20th Anniversary of City Shields.

The sales of my last two artists’ books “Surveillance” and "20th Anniversary of City Shields" would not have been possible without the numerous mentors, artists, and library contacts who supported my work along the way.

I’m honoured to announce that with the addition of the 20th Anniversary of City Shields the complete series is now part of two Canadian collections — The National Gallery of Canada Library in Ottawa, Ontario, and The Canadian Center for Architecture in Montréal, Québec.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Surveillance.

Two more copies of Surveillance have found a home at the Temple University Libraries collection in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Criss Library of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Nebraska.

The last copy of 26NOV2006 has secured a home in the Miller Library of Colby College and with it the collection has added my artists’ book Conversation.

Now that archiving memories and reminiscing is done — on to another new project, this time about Google Street View — still feeling watched!