What gives me inspiration?

There are many things that are a source of inspiration for me. Some creative people find that they can be plagued with creative blocks but for me, that is never a problem as I find inspiration in all sorts of places. I explain some of the things that inspire me to create below but in reality, there are many more. I could write pages on different elements of nature for a start! I’m sure no-one needs to know or would be interested to know, that amount of detail so here is an overview instead.

Nature

Being outdoors is an important part of my life. It doesn’t necessarily need to be “the great outdoors” surrounded by wilderness, it can just be walking in the countryside on the outskirts of town or a woodland walk in a more-leafy part of a city. I feel a sense of calm and peace when in green spaces. Indeed, research is currently bringing to light many benefits of green spaces to our mental and physical health.

There are many things that inspire me artistically in nature. Textures, patterns, colours, and forms. As you can see from my art, I am most passionate about mountains and landscapes and they feature heavily in my work. Ideally, I would split my life between mountainous parts and bustling cities to get the best of both worlds year-round.

Art exhibitions

Since I first developed a true passion for art, visiting art exhibitions has been important to me. Visiting exhibitions of the great artists of the past is both daunting and inspiring. Daunting due to the mastery of paint they had and the value of their work; inspiring because it’s great knowing that art has been appreciated all this time and it’s wonderful seeing the work of artists who have paved the way for future artists. As well as seeing the work of artists past, I also think it’s important to engage with the current art scene – both locally and nationally. Degree shows, artist collective shows, and commercial galleries are all great places to go check out.

Publications

Printed materials have always given me great ideas and inspiration. I’ve cut out things I like and stuck them on sheets of card in folders in the past. I like browsing through zines, catalogues, interior magazines, design magazines, newspapers etc. What inspires me can be a range of things such as colour schemes, how photographs are composed, printed backgrounds, and what somebody has written or said in an interview. It can also be adverts or logos. With so much online now, there is question over the sustainability of printed media, but I hope it endures. There is something special about having something physical rather than just digital on a screen.

Walking

I walk pretty much every day both out of necessity and for pleasure. By walking I feel I’m doing a small bit to help the world by not using fuel and also helping maintain my fitness. Living in a city means that wherever I walk, I’ll pass many things and some of these will give me inspiration. For me, inspiration can be found in the strangest of places, at the strangest times. I can often see beauty in everything and will find myself suddenly a few steps behind a friend as something’s caught my eye, and I want to photograph it for later. This could be a shadow, street art, plants at the side of someone’s front door, or a crack in the pavement!

Sunsets are a big thing for me, I’ll specifically go out for walks to see the sun setting. No two sunsets are ever the same, so the appeal is continuous.
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Copyright 2018 Helen C Redman | HCRart.