Top tips for getting creative

Igniting that creative spark

Recently I was out on a ramble and I got to thinking about creativity and how to get some inspiration and motivation when you are stuck in a funk. Maybe you are not in a funk but you have ideas that you just need some clarity on. Today I am sharing my tips on what I do to get the creative juices flowing. Whether it is ideas for a piece I am painting or inspiration for a blog post these are some things I like to do to kickstart my brain.

Change of scenery

Recently I have been visiting more new gardens and going for more walks in the evenings. Even if it is just to a new tea shop or a walk through a new woods I love breaking my routine. Day to day monotony of wake, breakfast, brush teeth, work, sandwich, bills, play with the cat, dinner then bed can all dampen your thinking and creativity. I even noticed it this week when my week was broken up by a trip to London with work. It was a complete snap out of my normal weekly routine and although it was a tiring trip the complete change of scenery inspired me.
I love getting ideas for decor and painting projects from visiting cute tea rooms, manor houses and gardens. I also love visiting the decor and homeware sections in stores for ideas. Shop displays are great because they get you looking at new colours and ways to match them. I even get inspiration from bars and restaurants and love going to places that have fab decor. 

Visit nature

Noting like getting back to nature to ground yourself. Ever notice how nature doesn’t care about being perfect. It just is what it is, I love taking photos of flowers and watching bees and just getting completely lost in the sound and sights of nature. I get inspiration from the colours of flowers and how they look together. My top tip is to take your headphones off. Listen to the birds, the sound of your feet walking through the woods. Gather your thoughts and be mindful. I shared some walks on my Snapchat recently but most of my walks I leave the phone in the car and I just walk, no distractions and just enjoy the peace for half an hour. It is great for clearing the head. If you are working on a project and just cant thinks straight then go get lost in nature for an hour and come back to it and see how refreshed you and your thinking is.

Think like a child

As the saying goes ” The creative adult is the child who survived”. Remember when you where a child and an empty toilet roll was a rocket, a cloud was an animal and trees looked like they were dancing. Then we went to school and we were thought to think more practical and learn our ABC and boring things like math and the clouds no longer looked like animals and the tree’s looked like trees. Children see things more fun, animated and not so serious. Now, I am not telling you to think like a child when it comes to paying your bills and being an adult but when it comes to getting creative nothing beats bringing out your inner child. I am blessed because my Nephew Jack is starting to explore the world, he is walking, not talking yet but I am so excited to see him interacting with his environment. How he sees the world and not how the world wants him to see it. Children don’t care if colours don’t match, they don’t care if your prints clash. Spend some time around them and just watch them and get inspired. 

Rest

I know I can be hard on myself when I am laying on the couch when I could be out taking photos, writing or painting. When I was at the Creator and Cultivator conference in May one of the mentors said how resting is all part of the creative process. So, if you are like me and get guilty for taking a few hours out then don’t! Sometimes a little trash tv or listening to a podcast and drifting off into a nap will do you more good than forcing yourself to do something when you are weary. Listen to your body and your mind.

People

Surround yourself with people who light that fire in your belly. It doesn’t have to be people you interact on a daily basis, it can be people you follow online. I follow tons of people who inspire me, Whether its photographers on Instagram. Ladies with killer decor on Pinterest or my girls who have a spark and a drive that in infectious! I have no energy for giving my time to people who are negative and make me doubt myself. I want to be with the dreamers. Some might say I can be away with the fairies, I would rather be away with the fairies chasing a dream than look back in fifty years with a pang in my heart. So, find your tribe, surround yourself with the people, who, after having a chat or watching their content, you are buzzing and eager to get going.

Online Inspo

Now, do not copy anybody, but, take inspiration and put your own stamp on things. Recently I was inspired by cool bar cart DIYs on Pinterest. I needed to make it work for my style and home so I took the inspiration and made it my own. Pinterest is great for getting inspiration for new ideas. I have a whole secret Pinterest board for making soaps lol! Instagram is also a great Platform for ideas and reading blogs and of course Youtube videos. Just be careful to not get lost online ( yes, I am looking at you frantically pinning until 4 am when your alarm for work is set for 7 am, lol). If you are inspired by someone and want to make something they have then make sure to give them credit and thank them for the idea. It is always nice to share others work and let them know if they have inspired you. 

Unplug from the noise
Now, although the internet is amazing for getting ideas, it can also be clogged with noise and before you know it you have watched about ten Snapchat stories, an hour has passed and your even deeper in clouded thinking. I scale back from consuming other peoples content when I am looking for ideas. I go to my fave websites and Insta accounts and skip the rest when I am looking for ideas. You can go back and scroll through your feed once your head is a little clearer and you got the creative inspiration you needed. 

Challenge your thinking

Ask yourself why?, If you are bouncing creative ideas around in your head but that voice in your head keeps shooting them down then ask your self why? Fear is why! I saw a great phrase recently and it said: ” If you were not afraid what would you do?”. Challenge your negative thinking. 

I hope you enjoyed today’s tips. Please do share what gets your creativity flowing and share some of your tips in the comments section below. You can also come and find me over on Instagram and Youtube for more pics and videos. 

Thanks for reading,
Chat soon,
Catherine.

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7 Comments

  1. Coco Chatter
    August 13, 2017 / 8:52 am

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️Great ideas Catherine! X

  2. Catherine Carton
    August 13, 2017 / 8:59 am

    Agh, thanks for reading. Hope your having a lovely weekend x

  3. Disgusted Cats
    August 13, 2017 / 4:32 pm

    Great, positive ideas and lovely photos. Thanks for being an inspiration, even to a 60 year-old! It is good, too, to be surrounded by people of all ages and stripes, as diversity helps as look at the world from New perspectives. Thanks!

  4. Beth Levenstein
    August 13, 2017 / 10:57 pm

    Love this post, we do need to get away from our daily focus and see things in a different way. I love nature walks they inspire me to think and see things differently. Keep being creative!

  5. Catherine Carton
    August 14, 2017 / 7:40 pm

    Thank you so much for reading, Yes you are so right, diversity and being things from other people definitely opens the eye x

  6. Catherine Carton
    August 14, 2017 / 7:41 pm

    Thanks so much for reading Beth! I just love walks in nature. They are just so peaceful! x

  7. Josaphine Phine
    October 6, 2017 / 8:43 am

    Hi Catherine,I'm 39 and your videos really inspire me.I think your a lovely person with a kind heart.I love shabby chic stuff and countryside and gardens also.Look forward to more videos.

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