Lost & Waiting: the Exhibition

Art is all around us. From the masterpieces in a museum to an advertisement, from cinema to a shoe style, from a conversation overheard to an obscure news article, the choice between tea or coffee, a choice of career, in science and nature, in the kitchen, at the station, art is inspiration.

As a writer, I might come across a picture on social media, or a news article may pique my interest. Often without realising it, these things plant the seed of an idea in my head. Over time, the idea germinates and comes to fruition in my writing.

I find it helpful to squirrel away pictures, video clips and articles which stand out to me. Later, if looking for inspiration, I turn to my folder of treasures and curios.

When writing a character—and settings can be characters as well—I find it helpful to have one or more pictures displayed on my desktop, to help bring them to life.

Usually, my fictional characters are a hybrid between various pieces of inspiration.

For example, the character of Victor, the art-collector in my novel, LOST & WAITING, was inspired by an advertising campaign popular in the ’80s, an Italian actor of the ’50s, a friend’s Mexican father, the audio guide of a Spanish cathedral, and an anti-hero of gothic literature.