Activate Your Inspiration HERE

Where does one start when they want to get creative? Look around you my dear. Inspiration is right in front of you at all times. The trick is keeping your eyes open. For when you see something, truly see it, your magnificent mind can do more than you realize. Let your eyes open and allow yourself the freedom to see everything differently. Creativity is hidden inside you – I know it!

How do I find inspiration with what I see around me?

Shape

When you look around you, do you see repeating shapes? Do the shapes interact, like the curve of a tree branch going over a straight line of a fence? Do the shapes merge together or have hard lines that keep them separate?

Use these shapes as a foundation for your artwork, or mimic how these shapes overlap in your craft project. Create a pattern with the shapes you see. Combine the shapes or pull them in different directions to make them abstract. If you have no picture in your mind of where this project is going, do not worry. Sometimes the best creative works are those that just come together with time.

Texture

Observe the texture of the objects around you. Note that you can see texture and not only feel it. Do you see smooth glass, peeling paint, or rough bark? What textures are below your feet or at eye level?

Recreate these textures with what you have on hand. For example, use a heavy brushstroke to mimic the rough bark. Maybe a sponge to give you a gravel texture. What do you have that can be used as a tool to create texture? Or used as the texture in your creative process?

Color

Color is one of the most obvious but important aspects of any piece of artwork. Or even the absence of it. When you look at the scene in front of you, you notice colors that compliment each other. Such as the orange flower against the blue clear sky. Or the way the black floor and white wall are battling for who gets your attention.

Build your palette from what you see. Experiment with using these colors in new ways to evoke mood or vibrancy. Don’t be afraid to use different tones of one color or to stay with black and white. You determine the feeling that your artwork provokes.

Light & Shadows

Watch how light changes throughout the day. It creates long shadows, soft highlights, or dramatic contrasts. Notice how light can highlight objects and shadows can hide others. While inside, notice if the lighting cast a warm or cool hue to your surroundings. How does the placement of lighting affect the shadows of the objects in the space?

Use these lighting dynamics to create depth, drama, or softness in your work. Shadows can guide composition or emphasize focal points.

Composition

Now it is time to pay attention to how objects are arranged in a space. Look for leading lines, symmetry, or the balance between the empty and filled spaces. What arrangements make you feel calm? What arrangements make you want to rearrange the objects in the space? Here you can find what balance you like between objects.

Incorporate these compositional ideas in your artwork or craft. You are the master of the arrangement. You can choose to draw the viewer’s eye to a certain place or create a certain mood.

How do you save the inspiration to reference later?

Here are a few tips and tricks I have learned throughout the years:

• It is wise to carry a sketchbook when you go hunting for inspiration. You can immediately make a rough sketch of the idea bouncing around in your head. We do not want something so amazing to be forgotten. Or if time allows, have a seat and get to sketching for your full idea! Sometimes, my sketchpad becomes my notepad as well. I write down my train of thought to keep me on the path I want to go. That sometimes leads me to a new track!
• Of course, take a picture! Phones are the bests for this unless of your course your preferred art is photography. Then by all means, grab that camera. Tip: Create a folder in your phone titled ‘Inspiration’. I have sub folders with titles such as ‘Nature’, ‘Objects’, ‘Color Combos’, etc. The folders keep me from wondering why I have random photos in my phone and help me to stay organized. It saves me time too. I can go right to the inspiration I need. Use the ‘EDIT’ option on your phone and select the text/draw option to leave yourself a note on the photo. No harm in making sure you do not forget the reason you liked the object/color in the first place.
• If possible, take some samples home. In the instance you are outside, you can always snag that one-of-a-kind rock, leaf, or feather. See a certain paint combination you love….grab the free swatches for later. I keep clear plastic boxes for my inspiration collections. Most of the time I add my collected items in the box with a note. It states my plan and if I have photos in my phone as a reference. When the time comes and I can work on the project, I am ready to roll.

How do I use the inspiration I have found to create artwork or a craft project?

Here comes the fun part!

Use what you observe as your starting point. As you see life around you, it can be used as a guideline for your creation or a starting point. People see things differently and that is what makes creation so amazing. We both may set out to sketch the same building but come up with two totally different renditions. I sketch with life like colors and lines. You use bold colors and over drawn lines because you see it more intensely than I do. Creativity and art are perceptions of the creator or artist. You will hear me say this over and over, but no rules apply when it comes to creating something you love. This is the part where anything is an option. Only your imagination can limit you….well maybe funding too, but if that’s no problem, reach for the top!

Do not feel tied to one or two elements. Have fun and combine multiple elements from your observations. For example, use the colors from a sunset, the texture of a feather, and the composition of a cityscape in one piece. Play around with different textures, colors, compositions. Keep it simple or go completely overboard. Try something new, and if you fail and do not like it, try again. Not everything you set out to do will become what you envision. It WILL lead to another amazing creation, I know this from years of hilarious failures. Laugh them off, turn them into something else, and enjoy every single minute.

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Does the above sound like gibberish and you still have absolutely no idea where to start? Like your mind is in freeze mode and you are scared to do anything? Start simple.

Let’s try this exercise, a simple drawing of a little leaf. However, it can help you understand something important. When you start to add details, even easy or little ones, they come together to create something beautiful.

I hope you have found this information helpful. My greatest advice is to jump in. No fear, just doing. Have fun!

Let me know what you think below 🙂