Ten Things That Nourish My Creativity

I have been thinking a lot about inspiration this week and came up with this fun list.

There are many things that help nourish my creativity; here are just some of them in no particular order. What inspires you?

*My non-rational mind

That part of me that's prone to daydreams, flights of fancy, and yes, fears and forebodings. Even my sleeping mind nourishes me with dreams that fuel my creativity.

*Materials

Paints, acrylic, oils, watercolours, inks, pencils, mediums, brushes, canvases, beautiful paper, charcoals, pastels, oil pastels, fabric, beads, found objects, you name it, even other people's 'junk' has been known to be hoarded by me to re-cycle into art. Nothing is more inspiring to me than having good materials to work with.

*Life's Little Treats

Chocolate and a cuppa, what's not to like?

*Nature

Sunsets, beaches, trees, plants, flowers, bird song, cicadas, butterflies, frogs, possums, mountains, rocks, rivers....Ah, what a splendid world we live in.

*Other artists

From the Renaissance to the contemporary, with everything in between. Nothing gets me more inspired than looking at great art, and hearing other artists discuss their work. (As for my favourites, well, that's another 'Ten Things' list)

*The unseen world of spirit

Meditation, intuition, synchronicity, illumination, epiphany, I am open to divine guidance wherever I can get it. To quote Leonardo Da Vinci 'Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art'. Couldn't agree more.

*Food

A full tummy and that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you share your food.

*Good books

I am curious about so many things and a good book can really fire up my imagination and leave impressions in my mind that can linger for years, even decades.

*Leaving it be

Sometimes the best way to fire up my creative enthusiasm is to do something totally different like go for a walk, mooch at the cafe, or, one of my favourites, go to the markets.

*Create, create, create

'The appetite grows by eating' (Francois Rabelais). Or, the more I create, the more I want to create.