Have You Ever Wondered Where to Find Creative Inspiration?
Creativity isn’t just something that strikes like lightning; it’s a muscle you can flex every day, waiting for you to notice it in the most unexpected, yet everyday places. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or someone just dipping your toes into the world of DIY, inspiration is everywhere—you just need to know where to look! Here are some tips to help you find your creative muse in the everyday hustle and bustle.
1. Nature: The Ultimate Art Gallery
For the past 18 years I have gone on an annual trip to the Washington Coast with a big group of friends. We stay in the same cabins on the same beach every year and about 8 years ago we arrived an enormous tree washed up on the beach. The tree remains year after year and has become a symbol of our trip, as well as a play structure for the many children that have been added to the group over time. It has gnarled roots and branches and has become super smooth over time from being pummeled by waves and climbed on by visitors. It offers so much inspiration in the form of shape, color and texture. And the contrast of our kids’ brightly colored jackets against the gray hues of the tree provide me with so much creative inspiration.
My daughter climbing in our favorite tree on the beach at the Quileute Oceanside Resort in La Push, Washington.
But you don’t have to travel to the coast or even anywhere off the beaten bath to notice the beauty of nature. Just look in your backyard, a local park or even along the sidewalk. Maybe a single colorful flower is pushing it’s way up through a crack in the pavement; maybe you’ve never taken the time to compare the shape and color of the leaves of three types of trees that grow in your neighborhood. Nature is a constant display of patterns all around us and these can be a huge source of inspiration for making and creating.
Inspiration Challenge: Take a walk with your phone or a small notebook and sketch or snap photos of interesting natural patterns, colors, or textures. Use these as a starting point for your next craft. Try recreating the symmetry of a pinecone in a stamp for block printing or the gradient of a sunrise in a painting project.
2. Urban Jungle: Finding Beauty in the Mundane
City life can be hectic, but it’s also a treasure trove of inspiration. The silhouette of a skyscraper against gray clouds, a cross-hatch pattern on a bridge, even the colorful and unique outfits of the people around you. The urban environment offers unique patterns and structures that can fuel your creative projects. In Seattle where I live, one spot that I find so many inspiring shapes and colors is our downtown waterfront and specifically the Seattle Great Wheel, a huge ferris wheel that overlooks the Puget Sound. I love the juxtaposition of this mass of moving metal against the backdrop of water and islands.
The Great Wheel on the Seattle downtown waterfront.
Inspiration Challenge: Take a walk through a city block you’ve never explored. Focus on capturing shapes and textures, like a rusty fence, a colorful mural, or an unusual shadow on the pavement. Let these urban discoveries guide your next crafting endeavor.
3. The Magic of Music and Words
Creativity isn’t limited to visuals. Sometimes, the right song or a line from a book can ignite your creative spark. Lyrics, melodies, and prose can evoke emotions and images that translate beautifully into your crafting. Also, listening to music or an engaging podcast or audiobook while crafting can open your mind and let in ideas that can inform what you are working on. Personally I get pumped up listening to songs that make me want to dance around my studio and my creativity is sparked when I am feeling uninhibited. This one gets me dancing every time:
Inspiration Challenge: Listen to a song you love and let the lyrics or mood inspire a project. If words are more your thing, pick a favorite poem or quote and let its themes and rhythms guide your creativity. You could even print out lines from a song or a poem and use the words themselves in a collage or some other mixed media project.
4. Culinary Colors and Textures
The kitchen isn’t just for cooking; it’s a playground of colors, textures, and shapes. Think of the vibrant red of a ripe tomato, the smoothness of chocolate ganache, or the layered design of a mille-feuille pastry. For me right now it has been the intense plum color of blackberry puree I have been using in frozen desserts made from the many berries I have been gathering with my kids near our home.
Inspiration Challenge: Prepare a meal or a dessert, paying attention to the colors and textures you encounter. Snap some photos and use them as reference when choosing color palettes for a project.
Remember, creativity is a journey, not a destination. The world around you is filled with endless possibilities, waiting for you to discover them. Whether it’s a simple walk in the park or a song that makes you get up and move, let your curiosity lead the way. Look no further than your everyday life for inspiration you never knew was there.
