Five Places to Look for Creative Inspiration in Your Own Home
Where does your creative voice show up in your personal surroundings?
What about your surroundings makes your heart sing?
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful” -William Morris
Creatives often surround themselves with the things that speak to them artistically. Look around your home, what items have you surrounded yourself with that makes you sing. Use the camera on your phone to document those items. What do they have in common? How do they relate to you personally? What are these objects about? Make a list or write about your findings. How can you incorporate your findings into a creative work?
I have surrounded myself with objects from my travels around the world. I am drawn to objects that have cultural patterns and images tied to nature. It is no wonder that my collage pieces are filled with intricate hand printed patterns and that my subjects are plants and animals.
If you are stuck for inspiration here are five places to Look for creative inspiration in your own home.
The objects that you collect: You collect objects because they are special and important to the happiness in your life. What could you think of as a theme that ties them all together?
The clothes in your closet: You choose the clothes in your closet because they make you feel comfortable or special depending on your mood. They are an outward expression of who you believe yourself to be. Is there a color scheme that continues to show up, a style that is uniquely you, or a type of pattern that draws it to you?
The art you have chosen for yourself: Buying art to fill your home costs money and takes up precious wall space. Why did you choose to invest in the art that you own? What are the stories, subjects, imagery, or feelings that they invoke within you? Could a piece of that art find a way into your creative work?
The personal mementos that you have kept as a reminder of a person or event: Mementos may not always be on display in your home, they may end up in a drawer, special box, or trunk in the attic. Why do you keep them hidden? What memories do they represent? This could be a very important story that should be told.
The ephemera that others might consider garbage but you hold on to because you find it interesting: Discarded, found, or unusual objects and papers often find their way into our homes. What have you kept just because it was interesting? It might have had a plan once upon a time, but has long been forgotten. Maybe it could have a physical application in your creative work or just an inspiration.
Bonus! Don’t forget the living things in your home too! Plants and animals are a huge inspiration for me. In fact, my bi-weekly Newsletter “Make Your Mark Monday” , was named for my cat Monday.
I would love to hear how your surroundings inspire your creative endeavors?
Thank you for being part of my journey.
