Artists --do you ever feel a prior familiarity with your work...?

[bliss_eternal]

...do you ever feel like you've seen something you've created somewhere before?

I'm presently working on an art project. The more time I spend with it, the more time I seem to feel a sense of familiarity with the characters I am creating and drawing. Every time I've drawn these characters, I felt I've had to see them somewhere before--so much so that I started to wonder if I saw them somewhere else (outside of myself).

Last night, I spent a stretch of several hours working with my art. It got to the point that I was almost in a meditative state with it. Then it occured to me, maybe I have seen them before--within myself. Maybe they've been with me so long wanting/needing expression through me that I felt I had to see them somewhere before. Does this make sense?

Has anyone here ever felt this way before with their creations or artwork?

Thanks!

bliss

[Cleita]

1. On a mundane level yes.

I like to write stories, and I wrote a great description of a sunrise once, but a friend pointed out to me that I had lifted it in part from Homer's, "The Odyssey" a book I had to read for a school assignment. So ever since than I have that little voice inside of me that tells me I might be plagiarizing it from something I have read in the past and forgot about reading it.

I do hope your experiences are from former lives.

[bliss_eternal]

2. Me too...

(hoping it's from a past life or subconscious, spiritual memory of some sort).

...I've checked everything I'm in regular contact with--greeting cards in shops and bookstores, magazines, cartoons on tv, the funny papers, etc. I've even had my husband looking, lol. Thus far, we haven't found anything similar to my drawaings (which is a relief).

I'm glad your friend reminded you it was the Odyssey, imagine if you had tried to publish it in some form.

Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it!

[wovenpaint]

3. I usually have a sense of wonder

I'll get an idea for artwork and I know what I want to accomplish, but now how. Once I start, I tend to "go away" (definitely a meditative state) and when I look around-usually after a few hours-I'm amazed at what I did-and where did the time go! So yes, what you say makes alot of sense to me. The artwork definitely comes from within-you probably put alot of this together while you were sleeping.

I've started making small sculptures from twigs and other found materials. I never know what they'll look like until they appear!

[bliss_eternal]

4. I love your sculpture...!

NICE work!

What you described is almost exactly what I experienced the other night while working. It was almost surreal. But satisfying--when I was finished I was surprised by what I had accomplished.

Thanks so much for responding to me!

[u4ic]

8. That's an interesting sculpture!

And a very interesting method.

I'd love to see more of your work!

[wovenpaint]

9. Thanks

I'm currently creating a whole "community" of them for exhibit in the fall-they're alot of fun!

[u4ic]

5. I used to feel

that something was coming through me when I was taking directing classes, for my BFA...I felt like I could just let myself go, and whether it be my higher mind, or the energy of the Universe...I don't know how to describe it, but I would talk and understand things that I hadn't consciously thought out before.

I wish I could explain it...I'd had a couple of experiences like that while tutoring, but it really seemed to come to life in the directing classes.

[bliss_eternal]

6. I appreciate your sharing...

when I can allow myself to go with it...I think I know what you mean. Trying to put it into words is tough, but it's a feeling, an energy...an ability that you really don't understand and can control in any way.

[u4ic]

7. Exactly

though I should have mentioned that it wasn't something I consciously went with, it just took over.