Being inspired and nurturing inspiration can be tricky, yet it is such a powerful way to keep your creative practice going, or to live with wonder in various areas of your life. You could think about something all day and not come up with one good idea, and then all of a sudden, while in the shower, it finds you with such force and clarity. It can really be such a mystery how inspiration behaves. A helpful starting place is knowing what sparks your flair of inspiration, what makes you come alive when you need to fuel your creativity in art, cooking, decorating your house or tackling a problem at work. Knowing this can be so useful when solving a...
So, this is the first one in a series called "currently". The aim is simple and fun - a list of 5 things I am enjoying at the moment using the 5 senses as a theme. It will cover things that inspire me lately, what I've been enjoying and / or links to cool stuff I've come across that you may enjoy too. It will serve as a type of collection of bits of inspiration for me to look back on, and perhaps inspire you as well. You can read more about the heart behind this series here in this introductory post. SIGHT | Really enjoyed reading this article about mindful colouring in. The opening quote of the article: "Everyone is given a...
There are times when I have this creative itch, and haul out my art supplies, straighten my page while I sit down to get started. But somehow, I draw a blank when staring at the clean page at times and feel a bit nervous about making the first mark. Warm up exercises or creative prompts are a great ice breaker to help you get your hands ready and focus your mind to create something good. Here's a list of fun ways to overcome those unsure feelings and get your creative juices flowing when painting, illustrating or hand lettering! Use them when you want to fill your sketchbook, or when you have a few scraps of paper laying around. Painting...
"Home sweet home!" This is what we usually declare as we pull up our driveway after being away from our home for a few nights. There may be a hint of disappointment as the time of an exciting holiday has come to an end, but there is also a familiar feeling of comfort and normality that being at home brings (hello, bed!). I was thinking about why we announce this when we arrive home, and it helped me notice the many ways homes are such beloved spaces. Not only do they provide us with the basic need of shelter, but they offer us so much more than that. A safe space from the outside world to grow. A...
If you told me five years ago that artwork of mine would be included in a beautiful, locally-made planner, I would've laughed in your face! It seems such a far-fetched thought - having the courage to create something, to then actually submitting it and seeing where that will take you. And here we are, the day of the launch of the 2022 Creativ and Heart planner! Looking back, this is the second year running where local artists are called to submit artwork to be included in the planner. In 2020, I gave it a go and submitted a floral piece that wasn't chosen. While I was a little disappointed, my numbers brain gave it some perspective. There are only 12...
