Inspiration through ears, eyes, weeds and drains (yes, really!)


The last week has been full of inspiration. Actually, I will rephrase that: over the last week, I took the time to be inspired - artist Danny Gregory has written about "filling the well" of creativity, and that's what I've been doing. Not just through the Stephen West workshop, but also thanks to various podcasts while wrapping gifts and preparing for Christmas. There are a couple of episodes that particularly 'spoke' to me and which I'd like to share with you. 

Image Source: Blogtacular - find episode one here
When I saw that Kat had released the first Blogtacular podcast I knew it would be worth a listen. At the time I wasn't following her guest - Mart Marie Forsberg - but soon found myself perusing her beautiful Instagram feed while listening. It was an interesting discussion and fascinating to hear how it took several false starts before she truly came to recognise what her 'thing' was, and how a momentary interplay of shadow and light happened to shape her brand, and her career. I am really interested in the idea that there's a moment of recognition when you find the thing that speaks to you(r spirit) - it's something I would like to explore further.

Image from the Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook - order the book/ read more here
After that, I caught up with episode 95 of A Playful Day podcast in which Kate interviewed Felicity Ford aka Felix / 'Knitsonik'. I already bought the Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook but hearing about the process and 'art' behind it brought it to life as well as being a really inspiring conversation. Topics included the importance and influence of sound, impermanence, feminism, art, being a creator, and capturing certain moments in different ways. Felicity's thoughts on experiencing and hearing things in a new way, and capturing some of that - either in a recording or picture / sketch or even in a written description, particularly struck a chord with me. This is something I have been doing (visually) for a while on Instagram and in my journals, but really only by instinct, without any direct purpose or plan for what I'd do with them.  

The footpath: so many colours
There was so much in the episode, I can't even begin to tell you everything I got from it. If you haven't already, I would recommend you give it a listen. Aside from everything else, you will also understand why my Instagram feed is filling up with pictures of Tarmac and, randomly, drains.

A sewer-inspired shawl? .... Perhaps! 
The pictures of the ground that are used in this post were all taken within very close proximity of our house. After six years of living here, it's the first time I've noticed any of them. (Seeing these things with fresh eyes is largely thanks to #TarmacTuesday.) I can't be sure whether the images will ever become a part of a project, but if everything you create is part of your journey it is fitting that these little places of interest are a part of almost every physical journey I make. We will have to see where they go from here...
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COMING SOON: On Saturday my review of *Knit the Sky goes live. The book is (coincidentally) also mentioned in the Knitsonik interview - I hope you'll be around for that. There are also a few posts lined up over the next couple of weeks - including a great (last minute gift) giveaway and the final Festive Gift Guide instalment. To catch all of the posts, you may like to turn on notifications for my Facebook page (where I always publish links to new posts), or to subscribe to the blog by email in the sidebar, as I won't be sticking to my regular schedule until the new year.  
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2 comments

  1. I love that idea of filling the creative well... something I think I need to work on. Thanks for linking to that article.

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it Leah, I love the honesty of Danny Gregory's writing (and art). I think we would all do well to remember that creativity isn't something that can just be switched on and off and it's really important to take the time for inspiration to sink in. I hope you manage it.

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