inspiration strikes

Inspiration shouldn't have to hurt, but sometimes it does. Last night a canvas fell off my easel due to overcrowding (I had two 16" x 20" in progress paintings side by side; one was perched a bit precariously) and landed squarely on the top of my foot. This has never happened to me before, and boy did it hurt. In fact, it left a black-and-blue mark. Ouch. I bent down to assess the damage and rub my foot a bit. When I did, I noticed how cool the pattern in my studio's plywood floor was, so I immediately took out a blank canvas panel and got to work on a new piece based on what I saw. I feel more than a little silly walking around with a giant bruise on the top of my foot, but at least I can say I've taken something positive out of the experience. Hopefully the next time inspiration strikes it won't be quite so literal.