I'll be honest, I used to keep hundreds of journals, pinboards and scrap magazine sheets for inspiration... working as a fashion designer that's what you did! I would have had so much to show and tell today... if I hadn't thrown it all out in the move from London to Devon! Since then however, I've not really been so hot on sketching and storing inspirational sheets in the same way... and I often don't keep anything either. So I'm going to be a little light on something to show and tell today.
I prefer instead is to take time out and visit a place of inspiration and be immersed in a certain style. This I find inspires me much more than my old boards and journals.When I was in London I highlighted a few places of interest for my DIY City Magazine London Issue at http://diycitymag.ning.com/ (PDF version http://diycitymag.net/pdf/DIY-CITY-MAG-LONDON2009.pdf)
By finding my inspiration like this I am able to completely focus on a theme I've often already started formulating in my mind. Now I hear you ask, what sort of place inspires me? Well it could be a market, or a museum, a shopping area in the city, or now days in my back garden! It really doesn't matter where, it just has to speak to me in colour and texture.
In nature, it's usually plants that inspire me, they are great for showing life cycles and the colours and forms these take shape in. They can even be used to dye fibre for my projects!
I also love the seaside and now that D's closer to his family who live by the sea, I'll have a balance of inspiration in seaside views alongside my Mum's village wildlife... the birds, rabbits, badgers and much more!
I'm hoping in future to be able to share a lot more of my inspirational places as I get familiar with my new surroundings... I'll keep you posted.
Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/
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This post was part of a blog Merry go Around, where I have got together with some friends to talk about a similar subject on the same day... a nice way to meet people!
Jenny at Jenny Karlsson design http://designjennykarlsson.blogspot.com/
Nikki at Beaded Zen http://beadedzen.blogspot.com/
Wendren at Wren http://thewrendesign.com/
Sara at Sara's Texture Crafts http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/
Charlotte at Fancy Picnic http://fancypicnic.blogspot.com/
Lily at Lily Pang Art http://lilypangart.blogspot.com/
Marian at Florcita http://florcitasart.blogspot.com/
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com/
Fabienne at Easterya http://easterya.blogspot.com/
Ruth at Birdland Creations http://insidetheartisan.blogspot.com/
5 comments:
well, living ina city like London the inspiration probably came from every street, market, parks, palaces, museums,etc.
Funnily enough, these days I also find inspiration in gardens... nature already did it for us, we just have to try and emulate! ahaahha
Makes sense to use your surroundings as your journals! You've become more of an outdoor girl and I bet you're loving it!!
I remember Devon, that's how I'll always remember England, classic Miss Marple style!!! =)
I'm not sure quite how, but plants and flowers— and architecture, for some reason— inspire me much more than magazines...
Hi Sara -
When I read the DIY citymag, I wished I'd been there in those places too! I can tell they must be extremely inspiring! I shall know where to go next time I'm in London...
Inspired by nature in your back garden? Sounds good to me!!
This is a lovely post.
I have just taken to gardening and I am finding it so therapeutic and that in its self is inspirational. :)
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