Cultivate Your Daily Art Inspiration.
Inspiration is all around us, yet sometimes it’s like water and seems to slip through our fingers. Perhaps we over-think things or are searching for some elusive solution. In reality, it’s quite simple if we slow down and journal thoughts and experiences.
You are a creative person
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You are a creative person 〰️
I believe that God made this amazing, beautiful, crazy, wild universe - He’s the most incredible artist ever. And he made you unique and gave you a limitless imagination. So every person is inherently creative and artistic. Ask any child under the age of about 6 and they will tell you that they are an artist. Somehow, as we grow up, we take on the words and opinions of others that lead us to think that we aren’t creative.
Consider yourself as an artist. If you live, think, feel, look and sense life through your artistic lens, you’ll notice inspiration everywhere.
Your creativity and imagination is only limited by your own mind.
So give yourself permission to dream and fly free.
Childlike wonder
You can find beauty and inspiration in every moment if you look for it.
Nature is a never-ending source of inspiration. Just observe the sky for a week and paint a swatch of colour each time you look up, the palette is varied with contrast and subtlety. Light falls on objects in a thousand different ways. It streams through the transparent petals of a poppy, dances on the surface of the ocean or softly kisses the distant, misty hills.
Watching kids laughing and playing can inspire you to be more playful in your creativity. Sitting with a friend by the fire, listening to music inspires an entirely different feeling of happiness.
How do you feel when you recall memories from lazy summer days by the beach or a day celebrating someone’s birthday in a noisy room filled with old and new friends?
Anything can trigger words and emotions which can be translated into images.
Keep an art journal
This is not a portfolio or something for anyone else to see. It’s your personal place to write and draw whatever you want. It can be messy and the art doesn’t have to be exhibition or insta worthy. It’s impossible to be completely raw and honest when you feel as though you need to share your diary with the world.
It’s a place for quick notes, lyrics from songs, colour swatches, magazine clippings, photos, sketches, lines from poems, quotes, colour explorations, random thoughts, dreams and anything that pleases you.
I like the freedom of using a book with pages made for watercolour painting. It allows me to use water-soluble media if I choose. However, cartridge paper is also suitable and I’ve filled many sketchbooks with lightweight paper.
Have a compact, portable art kit
Keeping a small kit on hand makes it a lot easier to pick up that journal and add something. The contents will depend on what type of art you make.
Here’s a suggested list of supplies.
Mixed media or watercolour sketch book
B graphite pencil
Pencil sharpener
Eraser
Willow charcoal stick
Fineliner felt tip pen
Round watercolour brush - size 6 or 8
Small lidded jar to take water for outdoor sketching
Small set of watercolour pans
Or a small set of conte crayons
If you’re interested in getting started with your art journal or you would like to rekindle your passion for it - check out this free resource: Discover Sketchbook Journaling
Make time for working on an art journal
Commit to a regular time to work in your journal. Make it something which is achievable in your situation. Even 5-10 mins, 3 times per week is worthwhile.
This is your special time, so unplug and switch off devices so that you can focus without distraction. Allow yourself to slow down and really look, feel and sense your surroundings.
Once you begin to build up a bank of emotional and visual inspiration, you’ll always have something to refer to when you want to make a painting or other artwork.
Bonus Tip
Get your art supplies out and admire them, pat them and promise to use them more often.
