Who's up for some weekend inspiration? October 7, 2016 17:29 4 Comments

This last month or two has been rather heavy on admin and not as much random creative productivity as I'd have liked! So this weekend I've decided to consciously look for inspiration. Here's the plan...

1 I'm going to a museum

The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising to be precise. While I'm there I'm going to be looking for colour combinations that I wouldn't have thought of, and checking out the feast of vintage fonts. 

We're going to the Museum of Brands Packaging and Advertising to get a bit of creative inspiration

2 I'm hanging with creative friends

I took up crochet last week and my crochet buddies are coming to hang out. I'm really looking forward to chatting ideas! What's a good second project? I'm thinking a laptop case. What do you think I should crochet?

 I'm hanging with creative friends to share ideas

3 I'm quitting multitasking

Has anyone been listening to Oliver Burkeman is Busy? I love a podcast and this BBC mini series has got me thinking about the effect of being busy on my creative output. After listening to these bite size reflections on modern busy-ness, I've decided to quit pretending to multitask and instead focus on flow. In practise, this means I'll be locking myself away with my sketch book and a sewing machine for 6 hours at a time... and no I will not hem your trousers while I'm there!

I'm locking myself away with a sketch book and a sewing machine

4 I'm looking back

Do you keep a sketch book, or a notebook? What about Pinterest, or a scrapbook? I do a bit of all of those, and when I'm a bit lacking in inspiration I find looking back at ideas I toyed with but never developed can kindle a creative storm. Moodboards are having a moment and I'm filling up a book with ideas ripped from magazines for the next time I need inspiration.

I'm using Pinterest to remind me of old ideas I had

5 I'm going for a run

Oh how much do I not feel like pulling on those trainers, but I really believe that exercise and making have a similar thing going on. The brain stretches itself around in a different way when you're actively doing and it seems to open my brain to lateral thinking. So this weekend I'll be running up that hill.

Running and making stretch your brain around

What do you do when your brain isn't exactly full of ideas? I'd love to know your tricks!