Lots of things inspire me... and it seems like I am never without an idea for a project. However, I know lots of artists who struggle with finding inspiration for their creative endeavors. So, I thought that for today's post... I would compile a list of just some of the ways you can boost you creative spark; or get out a slump.
*music. To me, this is probably the biggest muse. Find a new station.... put on a stack of record.... google a new genre and dig in. (Pandora is a free internet station... as is Jango)
*color. Sometimes just challenging yourself to work in a particular color scheme, or opposites, or what is trendy will spur you on.
*fashion. I love fashion shows. It's sort of a guilty pleasure... because in the whole scheme of things, I don't care what I wear, I just want to be comfortable. But... fashion can be a big pool of brainstorming ideas.
*books. I try to always have a book or two that I am reading at any given moment. Lose yourself in the story. 17th century history? think about what they might have been wearing, listening too, worried about. This will start helping you pander for ideas.
*magazines. I put magazines separate from books... because magazines are set up to look through quickly. One thing I like to do .. is to flip quickly through the pages of a magazine. What colors are used most? What flavor is featured most (tropical, desert, country, urban)... and go from there.
*stay healthy. You can't do your best work if you are hungry, tired, and sick. 'Nuf said.
*take a walk. Get out in nature! Probably this is a fast second for inspiration. What is blooming right now... what are the colors, the feel, the emotion you get? Put it into your work.
*take a trip. Now, I know money is tight... but sometimes it only takes driving to the next town over. Or going to a nearby attraction. When was the last time you went to the local Historical Society, museum, kitchy amusement park, etc...
*clean up your studio. Sometimes all you really have to do is re-discover things you already have on hand. Like, who knew I had those beads? and those tassels? and ....
*collaborate with another artist. Besides offering another viewpoint, the collabs I have worked on have always pushed me in directions I probably never would have gone on my own.
Hope those ideas helped!
Stay creating, and I will see you all tomorrow for my weekend post.
