I am the type of artist that takes inspiration from the world around me. I don't often remember my dreams so most of my ideas come from how I view reality. For me, finding places in the world that speak to me is an important step in my creative process.
Today I thought I would highlight the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois. This is a place of epic beauty and insane attention to detail. Not only are the exhibits spectacular but the building itself is a marvel of architectural genius. Unfortunately, the Shed doesn't present many photography opportunities. The atmosphere is dark with the lights inside the tanks as the primary light source. The pictures below are not mine, but they do illustrate how fantastic this place is.
I think nature is crucial for all people. For me, the lack of natural surroundings makes me feel lost, trapped. I am not necessarily the girl who wants to bike up a mountain on a Sunday morning, but clean air, dirt roads, and unkept fields will always trump sewer smell, hot tar, and parking lots. When I was living in Chicago, I had this feeling of industrial isolation, it consumed my entire life. I spent many months as unhappy as I have ever been in my life. Everything was so crowded, and I could never find a quiet moment or a quiet place clear my head. It took me a few months and a lot of depressing walks around the city before I finally coughed up the 21$ to go to the Shedd on a gloomy Chicago day.
From the moment I walked inside, I knew I had found my new (and very expensive) sanctuary. For the rest of my time in Chicago I visited the shed at least once every few weeks. I would go alone and marvel at the beauty and grace of the sea life as they danced peacefully and most important, quietly in the massive tanks. I would also lament at times looking at the fish because they were as trapped as I was. They were stuck in crowded tanks just like I was stuck in the crowded city. In the end I was able to escape the city and find my happiness but the fish are still swimming in their never ending circles.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?
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