Finding Inspiration in Lockdown

When I sat down to write about this I spent half an hour looking at the amazing websites of some of the big museums. I thought that this incredible online resource would be the perfect way to find inspiration in lockdown but in fact I found myself quickly overwhelmed. There is so much information out there, how do you sift through to find the things that speak specifically to you?

In my normal life I like to feed my mind by going to exhibitions and my other big source of inspiration – a well curated art bookshop. In the early days I used to scour charity shops for art and design books as they tend to come with a hefty price tag. I still highly recommend checking out the book section of any second hand shop you happen to be in for treasure.

I gather the things that give me that little spark of recognition that you get when you see something that’s your ‘thing’. Then when I come to start thinking about new work I can often thread my recent finds together into a theme of something that’s been on my mind, even if I didn’t know it at the time.  

So I’ll be taking the same approach in my new, smaller world. Gathering things that interest me , online and offline and once I have a sense of what I’m interested in, it’s time to bring in the big guns of those beautiful online resources.

So here’s my recommendations for finding that creative spark after you’ve been doused in Corona Virus overwhelm.

• Expose your self to some new things – read a blog, beg, borrow or steal some books from your friends and neighbours, explore the natural world, and keep a record of what gives you the feels. This will take a few weeks.

• Bring everything together – I’m a big fan of the wall covering pin board for this.

• Once you decide what the big idea is, pare back what isn’t needed right now and go out there and research it.

• Your pin board/pinterest page/sketchbook is now brimming with ammunition, you are full of ideas and ready to start experimenting!