Finding Inspiration in the Everyday

I often find inspiration in the things that make me feel good. It might be a beautiful old building, flowers spilling from a window box, a lovely shop front, or something I notice while travelling. Sometimes it’s not even the thing itself that stays with me, but the feeling it gives me.

Looking back through old photos, i’ve realised i’ve probably been collecting little bits of inspiration for years without really thinking about it. I found this photo from London in 2014 and immediately remembered how much I loved the flowers spilling from the old street lamps against the beautiful buildings. I remember wondering why they weren’t everywhere. It felt like such a simple thing to make the whole street feel so beautiful. I wasn’t taking the photo because I thought I might use it for artwork one day, I just wanted to remember it.

Sometimes inspiration comes from something I’ve seen, but other times it starts completely in my imagination. Once I begin painting, one idea can lead to another. I might start with something quite small and then begin imagining what could sit beside it, where it might be, or what else could be happening around it. I love that part of creating, when an idea starts to become its own little story.

I’ve always been drawn to beautiful buildings, but especially the little details. The shopfronts, interesting doors, beautiful windows and flowers spilling out of them. I just get a really nice feeling when I see places like this, and I want to capture a little bit of that in my own work. They often get the imagination going too, and I start wondering about the people, the shops and the little stories that might be happening there.

This is often what the beginning of an idea looks like for me. With A Tale About Town, it began with a coffee cup and the idea of a quiet moment at a cafe. I started sketching and painting, adding the little details around the table. I liked the feeling of that moment and wanted to keep exploring it.

I think that’s what I love most about creating. An idea can come from something so small. A place i’ve been, something i’ve noticed, or simply a feeling I want to capture. I never quite know where it will lead, but I love following it and seeing what it becomes.