Almost anything that we encounter in life can be the inspiration for our art and our quilts. The people we know and love, certainly, but what about a people we have never known? What about a person whose influence has touched many lives? What about a person who has touched the lives of only a few?
An old building, antiques, vintage finds....anything old, dated, worn can be inspiration. If that something sparks a memory or shares its history, so much the better as far as inspiration goes.
Of course, history isn't the only subject that can be the impetus for inspiration.....science, art, literature are filled with colors, senses, impressions, memories: the beauty and inspiration that come from the essence, the very nucleus, of a being. So then if inspiration can come from any where or any thing, how do we move from being inspired to the next step?
Artists have their own ways of capitalizing on inspirational ideas. Taking photos, making lists, mapping, drawing, and journaling are all excellent ways of capturing the ideas that have the potential (or not) of finding their way into art, craft, and quilts.
Another way of recording these inspirational concepts is to use some of the electronic media available to us. I keep digital photos, jot list on my phone's S Note app and catalog on my blog.
There's no one way or right way for me. It's more a matter of convenience at the moment. I love the camera on my phone and have snapped pics in the oddest of places and of the oddest of things. Sometimes, I want to "write" an idea but have neither pen nor paper (and would lose that promptly, anyway) but the S Note on my phone is wonderful for such instances--remove the stylus from the phone and jot!
Regardless of the way that inspiration is recorded, it's important to record it in an easily accessible form. And then what?
Well, access it, draw from it, use i--in it's entirety or just in bits and pieces--study it, manipulate it, shape it. Turn it into something useful, beautiful, ordinary, functional, suitable.
What inspires you?
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