I've had some questions lately asking what inspires me and I decided to answer it in a new Ideas and Inspiration post... Enjoy!
Fun Ideas to help keep you inspired, happy and motivated:
Make a desktop of favorite photos with mosaic maker - think of it as a digital mood board. I have one on my desktop made with my flickr favorites and I *love* looking at it - the colors, textures and photos make me feel so happy and excited. (please be mindful if you do this, not to redistribute your desktops for other's use - it could upset the original photographers to have their photos shared in that manner!) Below is mine - if you are interested in locating the photos, they are in my flickr favorites.
And speaking of Mood Boards...
Make a Mood Board - What is a Mood Board? As mentioned above, its a collective of images, pieces of things, textures, patterns, objects, etc. that create the kind of mood you wish to visualize. I keep one in my office to look at daily that projects the kind of person I want to be/become/continue to be and the things I value, love and admire. It is a little personal so you'll have to excuse me for not sharing images - but! I really think it inspires me daily, and recommend to everyone to try to make one. My friend Anna Denise wrote a blog post recently on making Mood Boards and linked to a great article that explains Mood Boards further. Check it out!
Put inspirational notes to yourself all over your home - I like to hang these by my desk, or next to the mirror that I pick out my outfits at... My current notes are "Not without a fight!" to inspire me not to give up on my dreams, and "You are amazing", to remind me to believe in myself. Feel free to print out the above image I drew for this purpose or this older one, "What you believe = What is possible to manifest" :)
Try a new exercise to have fun outdoors - such as bike riding, roller skating or
hula hooping! You can take classes in your area if you don't already know how
to do something, or look up youtube videos tutorials so you can learn on your own!
Finally check out something you've been wanting to try - such as a
new book, a kind of tea, type of food, etc. I just recently have started
drinking Rooibos tea, finally read a Harry Potter book, and tried out Tofu
Steaks! Guess what - I loved it all - and now have new things I'm interested in! Trying
new things = awesome.
For those on a budget: Sign up for the Republic of Tea's catalog. It doesn't come often, but when it does it talks about interesting tea AND comes with a free tea sample! (The link to request a catalog is at the bottom right under the recently viewed items section) I love trying out the tea sample while reading about other kinds of teas, and marking the catalog for teas I want to try someday.
Make something - Sometimes working with your hands can be very relaxing and rewarding... I know a lot of people have told me they aren't "crafty", but I think the knack for making things can be learned with time and patience. Here are some fun things to try: Make clothing out of old T-Shirts, Upcycle your own tote, and Fold a paper fortune cookie.
Watch inspiring and cute youtube videos - Here are some of my favorites at the moment:
Memoryhouse — Lately
This one is a little sad, but the visuals are lovely.
Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"
Cute and funny... this little girl is pretty darn inspiring for her age.
U900 -Walk Don't Run (Isogabamaware)
Ridiculously cute.
Hope these suggestions help inspire you and get your mind going on new ideas!
As for myself... I get my inspiration from a lot of things - music, people watching, tumblr, blog reading, comics, local happenings, friends... I always try to keep my eyes open and camera ready to document anything that seems interesting. I also try to keep a journal (outside of my blog) to document my interests and feelings... I find doing all these things keeps my mind active and helps me continue to learn about myself.
One of my early memories of being truly inspired was the first time I saw Björk's "Oh so quiet" video. I was captivated by it as teenager - I had never seen or heard anything like Björk before... she was so imaginative and unique compared to most of the music I had been exposed to at that age. To this day it still motivates me to do a little dance and be creative. Here is the "Oh so quiet" video to watch:
Always keep your eyes, ears and hearts open. You never know what will inspire you and change your life for the better! Happy Wednesday <3
