Ways to Stay Inspired...

...Even in winter and even in lockdown!

We know January is bleak. And cold. And wet. And long. But February? It's like the worst should be over. Except it's still wet and cold and dark and that January payday disappears pretty quickly and well, you get the idea. So keeping inspired right now is always a bit of a challenge. Add in yet another lockdown and I'm pretty much ready to hunker down with a duvet and not emerge until spring.

So here are some of the things I find help, and that are still possible in these strange times we find ourselves in.

Go Outside

Yes, I know, the weather. And also, are we allowed? Do I have to run? Carry a bag of shopping as cover? Who knows anymore, but honestly...I'm lucky enough to have a teeny 1ft wide, balcony and just trying to have my coffee out there each morning reminds me there's a world out there. If you can, venture a little further afield and just take a moment to notice the changes in the seasons - things usually hidden revealed by the bareness of winter, the colder and almost monotone light, interesting perspectives thrown up by an abundance of puddles. There's inspiration everywhere, but you need to be looking!.

Buy something new

Disclaimer: this is not the answer to creative block. Or becoming a virtuoso at your craft. And it certainly requires moderation and self restraint. But especially around this time of year, I need a pick me up. And sometimes, the answer to this is to set a budget (crucial!) and hit up some of my favourite shops and buy something different. Not yet another new ink. Not more foil or paint or shiny things. Something I haven't tried before. My £15 budget got me a deckle-edge ruler, some hand embossing tools and a new bone folder (mine had an accident). These things are unlikely to change my business creating, but it's something new to play with, to get ideas bouncing around and hey, who doesn't love it when that parcel hits the doormat?

Make a moodboard

Hands up everyone who picks up an Ikea catalogue whenever they pass through? Or any design-y home-y swanky looking catalogue for that matter. And those little paint chips in Homebase? And wallpaper samples? And saving cool packaging or postcards from orders? Oh yeah, I have a box file of this (I've limited it to one. Once that gets full I have to have a clear out. Those are the rules). And when things aren't clicking I find the best way to get in to the flow of things is to do. But when you have no inspiration where do you start? Get this box and a nice big sheet of paper and start playing and messing around. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised by what comes out of it. Plus it gives you a totally legit reason to keep hoarding all those bits and bobs.

Learn Something

One of the things I do love about the internet is how freely people share their own knowledge. There are so many fantastic resources, both free and paid, to learn something new or different. I particularly love Design Cuts because their Learning Hub covers everything from tutorials to podcasts to trend forecasting, so I can pretty much always find something no matter what mood I'm in. If I'm looking for something completely random I always enjoy a browse through Obby although I have to admit, I haven't quite embraced the Zoom workshop vibe. One day maybe.

Get organised

This may be controversial for some. But I am a huuuuuge believer in tidy space, tidy mind. When clutter starts building up around the edges, well, my brain does the same. And then it gets harder to create, either for pleasure or for business. So I give myself a day and I blitz my studio space. I pull out the drawers, go through all the paper, reorganise the inks and find all the paintbrushes I've left lying just about everywhere. And you know what generally happens? I find something I forgot about and think "oh, I'm just gonna quickly try this out...." and before I know it I have a double mess BUT I've also made something and kicked myself out of that funk. And if that doesn't happen, well hey, I've got a beautifully organised space for when I am ready.

Watch Others

I have a collection of shows I watch and rewatch on Netflix for when I'm feeling a little uninspired. And...get this...they are unrelated to what I do. Sometimes when you're in a creative rut the worst thing you can do is look at more of what you're supposed to be doing! That said, I don't get particularly inspired to create when I watch John Wick for the billionth time, no matter how much I love it. So Netflix, if you're reading, please create a recommends category of shows about people doing their thing. Bear with me...one of my favourites is the Dawn Wall. I'm a climber, so there is a personal interest, but I swear, seeing those two try and try again to do something no-one else had done before, for themselves. It's seeing that state of flow...we all get it, just sometimes we need some encouragement to tap into it. Other favourites include the Lego House, Abstract and the slightly guilty addiction to Tiny House Nation Nation (I swear, the creativity and ingenuity there is amazing!).

Limit yourself

Sometimes looking at all the pretty colours kick starts your brain. Sometimes just picking one to start with seems like an insurmountable hurdle before you've even picked up your weapon of choice. So limit yourself. Say you're only going to use that one colour, or that one tool. Or you'll only draw things with four legs, Turns out, our best creative thinking tends to happen when we have limitations to work with and around. Take that one pen and an obsession with jellyfish and just roll with it...In that specific instance I was actually pretty surprised to create something I actually liked.

Be consistent

Finally, and probably the most important....be consistent. Ever notice how much harder it is to motivate yourself to go for a run if you haven't done it for a few days? So everyday, for ten minutes or ten hours, create something. Doodle. Mess about. If it's rubbish, so what? Everyone has a pile of failed projects and half started ideas that never make it onto their instagram feed. That's how it works. And if you find accountability helps, join a community project. I've lost track of the number of monthly lettering projects I've started...it's great, they give you a prompt so you don't even really have to think if you don't want to. My problem is usually around day 4 the creativity kicks in and I start spending all day on it and get nothing else done. But the only way you'll ever create anything is to start!

So, how do you keep yourself inspired and creating?