External, Internal, or the Same?

Throughout the reading the idea of external inspiration came forward as a topic of great fascination and interest. The idea of external inspiration was not one that is new to me, however the idea of separating inspiration into the two categories of external and internal is a new outlook. Before reading this article I had contemplated external and internal sources of inspiration, but never drew such a distinct line of separation between the two ideas. The idea that inspiration needs to be separated however is one that seems intriguing as well as quite perplexing. Within the many examples provided that specify the division of external inspiration the idea is also paired with great examples of how current artists feel they draw from the world around them to create artwork that speaks on both personal experiences as well as one’s that are shared by larger groups. It seems however that the line is also very blurred throughout the articles and interviews. It is this particular aspect of the piece, “External Sources of Inspiration” that captured my attention, but also gave a sense of cloudy controversy.
It has been my perception prior to reading this article that inspiration was a singular being that lacked the division created and spoken of by the author. This line, even in the article, seems to be one that is muddy and hard to distinguish. It is said, that because these artists pull from the many cultures that they are surrounded by and share many feeling about their dispositions with others, that the sources they are pulling from are external ones. As an individual, this idea becomes one of an almost frightening nature. It seems to allude to the idea that there are some aspects of the human that are quite individual and can be brought out through provocation, but that there are many others created by external sources that are so shared that they almost lack an individual nature. Before reading this article these two instances were ones I had never even really conceptualized, but even after reading the article, they appear to be boundaries that seem too cloudy to be concrete.
Contrary to the article’s ideas, my personal view of artwork supports that all experiences are of a personal and internal nature. Great stress is placed on the concept of internalizing issues that happen in the world around a person and what emotions this might unleash. Although the article states that internal inspiration lays dormant and only need be provoked by means such as meditation or hallucination, the term internal could hold a very different meaning, maybe one more relative to the notion above. It could also be defined more liberally to cover the idea that even external events that share consequences and reactions with larger groups still are twisted in a certain degree to fit each individual experiencing them. It is from this aspect that the boundary is crossed. However, I would not say that all inspiration is internal for it could also be argued that it is just as likely external in nature. All events build within an individual and although some events are shared, no individual shares every single experience and perceives each experience in the same way as another being. It is this aspect that creates a certain strength in the individual or the internal, but a strength that will always be closely married to the power of the external. With this thought pattern it can be said that the individual will always find inspiration in their perception of the world around them and it is the idea of these internal manipulations of the personal experiences that is so interesting and compelling.