24 Mar 15 things that are inspiring me lately…
I thought to start a new thing where I share some of the things that have been inspiring me lately.
As a creative, it’s important to find new inspiration in different places for the creative spark to stay alight.
Lately, I’ve been collecting photos of the things that have lit me up on my journey here in Thailand. I’d love to share them with you. Maybe they can inspire you too!
Here are 15 things that are inspiring me right now:
1. The Thai landscapes:
We’ve been staying in Thailand for almost 2 months now. So far, we’ve explored Bangkok, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Chiang Mai and Krabi. I loved the beaches in Koh Phangan but Chiang Mai is by far my favourite place. It feels like home and has an amazing creative arts scene. While staying here, I have felt inspired almost every day in what feels like my happy place 😍
2. Pretty breakfast meals:
Breakfast is my favourite meal and it’s even better when it looks this pretty 😍
3. Hand-embroidered creations:
I went through a phase of doing hand embroidery in 2022 and the creations I’ve seen in Chiang Mai have inspired me to pick it back up again. I love their embroidered designs. They get so creative and put them on a variety of textile items including clothes, bags, purses, decorative pieces, and accessories such as jewellery and hair clips.
4. Fabric designs:
I am in love with these fabric designs. I bought a summer dress with a similar print in Chiang Mai about 8 years ago. I’m on the hunt to find another one and so far, I’ve seen this fabric made into tops and dresses but not in the specific a-line dress design that I want. I’m hoping to find out where I can purchase this fabric so that I can try to replicate the dress that I have. I just love the earthy colours and the unique pattern designs and whenever I wear it, it gets a compliment. Fingers crossed I find the fabric, if not the dress! 🤞🏼
5. This reupholstered couch:
Love, love, love the idea of a patchwork reupholstered couch! One day, I will try and do this myself!
6. Meaningful words:
A paragraph that stood out to me from a book I read recently – I May Be Wrong by Björn Natthiko Lindeblad.
7. Flowers on sugar packets:
I love drawing flowers. I don’t consider myself to be a great drawer, but flowers, I can do 😆. This design was worth taking a picture of for future inspiration.
8. Art murals in Chiang Mai:
These art murals inspired me instantly, so much so, that I bought myself some colour pens and pencils to practise drawing similar patterns. This activity was so meditative. It’s basically zentangles (patterns I normally draw inside small squares), but this idea gave me permission and freedom to draw outside the box 😉
9. Emotional wellbeing books for children:
I strongly believe that we need to teach children how to develop emotional intelligence so that they can navigate and understand their emotions more easily, and grow to become secure and confident adults. Whenever I see books and resources for children on this topic, I light up with joy. These books would not only be helpful for children, but adults who want to nurture their inner child too.
10. Random inspo: a magazine cover and a handmade coaster:
I think I’ve been attracted to patterns more than usual lately because I have pens and pencils to carry around with me while I travel. I’ve been taking pictures of different pattern designs so that I can experiment later. I also appreciated the stitching on this hand-sewn coaster. I love when simple things create beauty.
11. This sunset:
Unfortunately it’s burning season in Chiang Mai right now, and nearby farmers are burning large crops. It’s an ongoing issue which will hopefully stop soon. The air quality isn’t great but the smoke haze makes for an interesting sunset. The sun was more like a red colour here, but the camera didn’t really capture that. Still nice though.
12. Cafe interiors (pattern clashing):
There are lots of cafes in Chiang Mai that spark inspiration. I loved these interiors and especially the couch with the two different fabric designs, complimenting each other. Who doesn’t love a good pattern clash?
13. Tie dye workshop:
I attended my first tie dye workshop the other day and it was so much fun! It was set in a beautiful English garden at the back of a colonial style cafe (Raming Tea House) with an amazing interior! I could spend hours here, getting creative, drinking tea and eating scones.
14. Trying out watercolour paints:
I bought myself a little traveller’s watercolour kit to see if I could do it. After watching a few Youtube tutorials, I felt ready to give it a go. I’d love to continue practising the techniques. Again, flowers were the inspiration for this activity.
15. Market tents made out of vintage lace tablecloths:
I LOVED this! Such as creative way to set up shop for a day at the Jing Jai Market 😍
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What’s inspiring you lately? And do you keep an art/ideas journal of some kind? I like to take pictures and record notes on my phone to refer back to later.
If you love creativity and want to increase your inspiration, I encourage you to start recording the things you see when you’re out and about.
Where to find inspiration:
- Craft markets and stores
- Shop windows
- Cafes
- Trips out in nature
- Bookstores/libraries
- The photos in your phone
- Ideas/notes you wrote down on your phone or in old notebooks
- Art galleries
There are so many ways to get inspired. I know we’re exposed to a lot of ideas on social media, but challenging yourself to seek inspiration out in the real world can be of benefit too. Who knows what you’ll find along the way.