Hello, beautiful people of the internet. It’s been months since I last wrote a blog post! I’ve been planning a few trips around my beautiful country while day dreaming on when we can all visit the rest of the world.

However, as my day dreams frequent and my trips are ever so slowly heading towards me, I start to get restless. And I get this need to create, and to make art and to come back to being me again. If you are feeling this way and in need of some inspiration, know you aren’t alone! You don’t need to be far away to get inspired. Here are some of the things I’ve found that have helped in recent times.

MAKE ART (DIFFERENT KINDS)

There is beauty in art, in all its forms and practices. Was there something you have wanted to learn, make or do but just never did? As cliché as it sounds, it is NEVER too late — no matter how much you are discouraged! Painting, embroidery, cross stitching, puzzle-making, pottery, cooking, sculpting, photography, florists and wreath making, videography, dancing - whatever pulls on your heart and makes you passionate about making or doing. Take those classes, do that course online or as with a lot of things, spend those minutes watching YouTube tutorials!

I’m finding that art feeds all aspects of my life, and that they are connected and sometimes even inform each other! Recently I’ve been delving into pottery, embroidery and ikebana — all which seem to draw inspiration from my photography (I’ll use it as reference or note a colour palette I tend to be drawn to). I’m not great at any one of these AT ALL but sometimes it’s just the act of doing it that makes me happy! Bonus happiness points when I share it with people and we all attempt to do it together.

Art sources recently:

Pottery classes
Trash to Terracotta Bud Vase
Embroidery
Ikebana (from walks around the neighbourhood)

TAKE INSPIRATION ONLINE + FIND IT OFFLINE

Yes, there is a LOT to see online - Instagram, Pinterest, podcasts and sites like My Modern Met and Bored Panda. Humans are so creative and sometimes just seeing creativity actually breeds more creativity. While there is so much to see and take from, it can be hard to sort through the clutter and find exactly what stirs you, but that’s actually the great thing. Start by a mood or feeling or an idea and search your heart out. Let one thing divert into the next until you are in a rabbit hole of inspired ideas - it’s better to be inspired by something completely unrelated to what art you would normally do! - and JOT THEM DOWN. And when you do that, take something from it. Of course, don’t try and copy something completely but take an aspect or an idea from it that you might want to emulate or re-shape. And then make!

On the offline side, there is still so much to see regardless of where you are. You may live in suburbia, or out in the countryside or in the middle of a bustling city and still find immense amounts of inspiration everywhere!

The trick is taking a different perspective to find it and notice the little things. Get up early just to see that sunrise (fall back asleep afterwards :-) ). Take a walk in your own neighbourhood, visit a new park/museum/trail, notice the changing seasons or the different plants and flowers growing, scout somewhere new and completely unknown on Google Maps, see the city lights and how they resonate with the skies, reconnect with nature and be swept away by the beauty of everything around you! Of course, different social rules apply to different countries so remember to practice social distancing and wear a mask when encountering other people.

Even something as simple as the changing light in my room inspires me!

MAKE YOUR OWN MAGIC

This is one of my favourite things to do when I am feeling frustrated about not being able to explore. My work usually looks at colour, nature and landscapes but since travelling is off-limits for a while I started to make my own fun. Focusing on colour and elements of nature, I made a series of photoshoots to keep me creative - some reflections of isolation due to the pandemic the world currently still faces, some whimsical shoots of wildflowers and femininity and others just creating magic in our local park! I check for moonrises and sunsets just for a little more dreaminess - sometimes all you have to do is look up.

Don’t be afraid to try silly things and create FOR YOU (i.e putting your hands in water for a shoot, placing flowers on biscuits for aesthetics, paint your faces/skin/anything). I staged a pizza party in our backyard over lockdown, complete with picnic blanket, chopping boards and pillows - just because why not? Whatever happens you’ll end up having a ton of fun!

SLOW DOWN & PAUSE

Slowing down and living more mindfully actually helps you see the beauty in things well, because you’re not rushing past them! When you live slowly, you cultivate creativity and deep thoughts and in turn, get to reflect on where you are (whether that’s in the stage of your life, your state or your current actions). It’s easier to appreciate and see the wonders all around you — as so often when you are pushing yourself to work harder, be better and achieve more, you start to stop living life!

Try journalling, meditating or yoga. Taking your time with each and every action you do and living mindfully. Re-scheduling a busy life to prioritise more meaningful relationships and time spent doing what you love also means you are more likely to feel and see all these beautiful people, things and places surrounding you. Not far, and all within your reach x