Hey pals,
Surely I’m not the first artist to compare finding inspiration to a watched pot? Inspiration is just one of those things that you can’t look for — it has to find you. But rest assured that it will find you. In the most unlikely and sometimes inconvenient places.
Here are some places that inspiration found me lately:
While washing my hair
Looking up dandelion fritter recipes
Trying to fall asleep at 2 AM
Thinking about Borzoi dogs
Watching spring migrating ducks fly overhead
Making banana pancakes
Watching Youtube shorts about seals
Looking through my memory box

Rarely does inspiration find me when I’m at my desk, sketchbook open and ready to draw. Like how a watched pot never boils, inspiration comes when you least expect it. Trying to squeeze it out will just leave you frustrated and drained.
Instead, look for inspiration in these places:
At a birthday dinner eating spicy aioli
A long walk on a windy day
At a food festival
While eating a chunk of pineapple
In an audiobook
A dusty, old storage box
In your curry-fueled dreams
You can also do what artist Paloma the Peach does — try new art materials, craft something, or take a break. Give it a try and let me know where inspiration strikes you next. In the meantime, I’ll see you next week with three good things.
Want more like this post?
Buy a fine art print of my collages
Turn your pain into inspiration like Frida Kahlo
Nourish your creativity to make better art
Until next time,
Jade
‘Trying to fall asleep at 2 AM’ so relatable Jade 😄💛
Yes! Having inspiration strike me when I'm not thinking about a project is the best. I love to do projects over multiple days for that very reason, leaving off in the middle and seeing what new ideas come up before the next time. I do a lot of crosswords, and I try to build in some "incubation time" for the ones I get stuck on, and an answer will pop into my head when I'm loading the dishwasher or doing something like that.