Where Does Inspiration Hide? Sometimes in the Knots of a Tree

Inspiration - where does yours come from? 

I know, I can already hear you responding, "Well, geez, could you narrow that down a bit - are we talking choosing wall paint, a layout for the garden, or painting a landscape?" 

Here's what made me think of it.  I just finished reading Dan Brown's book "The Secret of Secrets", published in 2025 (check it out here if you are not familiar with it and would like to know more: https://danbrown.com/books/novels/the-secret-of-secrets/ ).  Other than adding Prague to my ever-growing list of must-visit places, the author raises "a psychological phenomenon known as pareidolia" that has me pondering  (I won't tell you anything more about how that phenomenon fits into the story - but I will tell you what I think about that phenomenon). 

According to what I found online, and according to Mr. Brown, pareidolia  is the tendence for the brain to "conjure meaningful shapes out of nebulous contours, and humans see faces in everything."  That simple little sentence got me thinking....isn't finding faces in clouds half the fun of looking at clouds?  What about the man on the moon?  What about tree trunks (I could go on all day).   

I have a ridiculous number of photographs that I've taken of tree knots that look like all sorts of things, including faces.  I took those photos because I was inspired to create a future piece of art from some combination of the knots.  If my tendency to find images, faces, and inspiration where perhaps others may not, equates to or fits into the phenomenon, I say bring it on.  I enjoy the possibility of finding or perceiving aspects of anything and everything that will inspire me to produce art that I hope pushes you to conjure meaning that I may or may not have intended - it thrills me when someone shares with me how a piece makes them feel, how it inspires them, or what they see (as opposed to what I thought I was as I was creating the piece - it does happen!).