Feeling Inspired By What is Around Us

Often one of the first signs of spring I notice is usually buds in the flowering currant outside my kitchen window.

This year, it was early February when I first noticed little pink buds at the ends of twigs.

In my little bit of Norfolk, it feels very much like winter still. The days are drawing out, but it’s still cold. Although we haven’t had any proper snow, it was sleeting last weekend.

Somehow, plants and animals seem to know when spring is on the way, even if it is not obvious to us humans.

Out of the seasons, I like autumn the best, closely followed by spring. But it is hard to choose! What I like most of all is the seasons changing, although there is a bittersweet element to saying goodbye to one season as it gives way to the next.

In February and early March, I love to spot signs of spring. The buds on the twigs of the flowering currant are a promise. They are also pretty, pink first, then green tips start to show.

It is probably similar where you live. Even if you live in a city, there will be trees, plants growing in cracks in the concrete and flowers and things in parks. Sometimes we have to make a point of looking. It’s very easy to actually not see what is there right in front of us! Especially when it is familiar, we just don’t notice.

So sometimes we need to take the time to stop, to take a moment, and really see what is there.

There is an artist (I can’t remember his name) who said he didn’t really see something unless he drew it. I think there is something in that. In order to draw something, you have to really look at it. By really looking, you’ll notice things that you otherwise might miss. This might be off putting if you feel like you can’t draw (more about this another time!). But the drawing is less important than the looking. It’s the drawing that requires you to look.

The buds outside my window were inspiring me to make something, so I decided to bring a few twigs inside and see!

What I Did

My first thought was that I wanted to draw them, so I did. I looked first, closely, then drew. I had a vague idea to paint them too, so I drew some larger and looser, to splash watercolour paint on them later. I don’t like the results very much. The previous drawings were better, but I’m still glad I did them.

I love making colour schemes, but this time, instead of using the computer, I matched the colours with coloured pencil instead. I had (and still have!) plans to draw them with said coloured pencils, but I don’t have much practise there, and I’ve been a little bit resistant, so I haven’t got to it yet.

The colours are what I really like, so I wanted to something else inspired by the colours of the buds. Embroidery thread is great. It comes in so many colours, and it can be used for other things as well as embroidery.

I felt inspired to make a kind of braided trim, that I could use for something, or just keep in a collection of ideas. Plaiting with three strands usually results in a rounder braid, but with 5 or 7 strands, the results are flatter.

At the moment, this is as far as I have got. I have plans to crochet some little granny squares with the embroidery thread, and then I’ll see. I might stop there, or I might feel inspired to carry on and try out some more ideas.

The Point of What I Am Saying Is…

…there is inspiration is all around us.

It can feel like we need to make a special trip, or at least go somewhere different in order to feel inspired. But there is a lot to be said for finding inspiration in the familiar.

When we are on holiday, there are usually other things going on. The place might be unfamiliar, the food is different, you are not at home and your usual routine doesn’t apply. It can feel quite tiring when everything is new and unfamiliar, in a way that being at home isn’t.

It might be that when you get home, you feel inspired do something to preserve the memories of your holiday. But it’s fine to be on holiday and not find the time, energy or inclination to do something creative.

Sometimes it’s better when it is a place we know well, where we know where the best places are to walk, the places with a nice view, the spots where we feel most peaceful.

And when you feel creative, that creativity can come out in all kinds of ways. This time, I did some drawing. Other times, I probably wouldn’t. So I encourage you to see what is around you, and if you feel like it, see what you can do to respond to it in a creative kind of way.

If you like the ideas in this post, I did something similar last summer with some lupins I spotted growing outside the library. And if you’d like more of this kind of thing, I encourage you to sign up for my email newsletter. I send it out once a week ish. If you fill in the box at the side, I’ll also send you my free mini course Crafted Colours.