Today kicks off the first our 12 Days of Design!! Have you signed up to get daily emails outlining the steps to create your first, or newest, textile design?
Sometimes the hardest part of fabric design is just getting started. It's common to feel completely uninspired, but luckily there are a million ways to get the creative juices flowing! Today we're sharing our favorite places and ways to find inspiration. How do you get inspired? Please share in the comments below!
Bright Yellow and Pink Pastel New York City Patern | Little Smile Makers
1. Visit a downtown: Hit the streets in a urban area to be inspired by the city buzz and bright lights!
2. Plan a trip to the zoo: Animals are the perfect subjects for your first (or next) fabric design.
Fresh Market | Demigoutte3. Check out your local farmers market: Let the hard work and bountiful harvests of local farmers inspire you.
Come Hike With Me designed by Vo aka Virginia O
4. Go for a run or bike ride: Clear your head with a little fresh air.
Museum Animals, Dinosaur Skeletons | Boho Bear
5. Spend time at a museum: What better place to find inspriation than a place filled with historical creatures, beautiful paintings and creepy crawlies!
"C0ffee" Pots with "Black Coffee" Beans and Cream designed by Victoria Lasher
6. Your neighborhood coffee shop: Spend the afternoon sipping on a warm up of coffee and taking in the inspiring tastes, smells, and views at your local coffee shop.
7. Go for a long drive: Get behind the wheel and let your daily thoughts and cares go as you dream up an exciting textile design.
Cocoa with my Dragon | Miss Clover Brown
8. Relax with friends and family: The best ideas can come during a break–so take a few minutes to relax and chat with friends.
9. Look through old photos: Reminisce about the good ol' days and create a beautiful design inspired by loved ones or a great adventure!
Air Plants in Hanging Glass Terrariums | Amy G
10. Visit a handmade market: Check out what other creatives in the area are making and what they use to motivate their work.
Walking in nature is my biggest inspiration. The next best thing is walking in areas with beautiful architecture surrounded by lush landscaping. And finally inspiration pops up out of the blue, from a book, the Internet, a movie, almost anything.
Nature and my imagination always inspire me…great way to kick-start the holiday design inspiration.
I get inspired by everything, though mostly history, high days and holidays, it’s putting the ideas into practice to form a cohesive and different design that I have the most difficulty with!
I normally get inspired by strange forms in nature to imagine fairy tales atmosphere, with creatures coming out of a child mind. And also the draws of my daugther (5yo) are great inspiration.
Most of my inspirations come from the outdoors, my surroundings and going to small shops. I love to go to fabric shops and look at all the designs. I also like to look at Pinterest, so much to see and all the colors. Watching children’s movies and shows are so inspirational to me. I just sat and watched Finding Nemo the other day. Wow, what great colors and textures this movie had!
The produce section in our grocery store always inspires me. Its easy to get caught up in getting what I need and getting out but when I slow down and enjoy all the colors, shapes and textures, its impossible not to be inspired.
My inspirations are vintage clothing from the 1940’s, trees & the colors (blue & greys) of glaciers.
Great inspiration! I look through photos I’ve taken over the years, think about the things I love and enjoy and go from there 🙂
Antique stores, Spoonflowers contests :), how you are feeling about a certain event of what is happening in your life or around yo, or ask a friend or family member to write out a list of 10 items total of favorite words or phrases….
I find my inspiration by heading out for photo hikes. I grab my camera and look for the unusual on a walk through the woods, my neighborhood, a downtown area, etc. It’s amazing what we miss in the hustle & bustle of every day life.
I’m inspired by my friends and their families. I’m more inspired to do things for other people than just for myself, so they get my ideas going.
I enjoy going to museums. Recently I found a treasure trove of artifacts on display at the “Gene Autrey’s Route 66: The Road and the Romance” exhibition. The finds included (among others); Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” manuscript; “Western Motel’s” neon sign; and Thomas Hart Benton’s “Boomtown,” 1928, oil on canvas.
A lot of my inspiration comes from photos I take–usually of nature–the beach, flowers, sunrises and sunsets, landscapes, etc.
Great ideas to get me started!
I think of the beach.The sea shells,coral reefs,sand,and pelicans.
Key West ,FL would be my Inspiration I love calming of the color hues.mainly the pastels soft and Bright!
I try to use the world around me, old photos and new photos of my own and family, too.
I may do an online search, but usually only when it is a theme with which I’m not familiar. I really try not to be influenced by the work of others any more than I can help it. Saying that, the theme of my Winter Toile that I have just started was inspired by an art quilt. I have not gone back to view it with the fear of being too influenced by it. I want it to stay just my inspiration.
This is great!
I’d like to add that our own home libraries (or a used book store) may be another good source of inspiration. My hoard includes old picture books, science books, decorating books and photography books.
Fantastic inspiration! 😀