I had this request for a Paperclipping topic:
“I’d love to see an episode on what energizes and inspires you when you create your pages. We get a personal glimpse of this on Tuesday nights when you are live. What I am wondering is if you read magazines, have an inspiration binder, collect quotes, or tear out ads from mags that inspire you with a design concept. What inspires you and how do you use it in your art/scrapbooking?â€Â
I get my creative energy and and inspiration from all kinds of sources, but when it comes to actually sitting down to scrapbook, my inspiration is a combination of the photos and stories I’m preparing to share, the emotions I feel regarding them, the products I have on-hand, and the store of mental images that float in my head and heart.
In other words, I don’t usually bring other people’s art to my table while I am actually scrapbooking. I don’t collect images in an inspiration binder like a lot of scrapbookers do. But I do read magazines and study others’ art very analytically and I learn a lot of general principles that way. I let the images and thoughts swim in my head so that when I come to my table I have a new combination of ideas.
5 Things That Inspire me
1. Reading Non-Fiction While On My Treadmill
I usually come up with new page topics this way. The exercise releases endorphins, while at the same time I’m learning and thinking about life and the world. I find that very inspiring.
2. Clothing and Fashion
I love the color combinations and interesting bead-work, stitching, and patterns.
3. Art
This is a big one. Abstract or modern art, collage art, handmade items in etsy shops, all inspire me. When looking at them, I like to imagine how I can translate similar ideas into my scrapbooking.
4. Music, especially when driving
My mind is most free to explore music and lyrics while in a car. Music often brings to mind concepts for layout topics and journaling. But the rhythm and dynamics of music also translate into visual ideas for me. Maybe this is a topic we can explore in a future posting.
5. Scrapbooking Magazines
There are three main ways I learn from looking at the scrapbooking of other people. When I see layouts I like, I ask myself why it works for me. I figure out what makes the design strong and how scrapbooker achieved what she did. If I find myself saying I don’t care for a layout, I also ask myself why. This helps me figure out what my own tastes and preferences are. I also look for ways that other people do things differently from myself so that I don’t fall into a rut.
That is an important idea; that we can benefit from layouts that have totally different styles and subject matters than what we like. There is always something to learn from other people.
There are so many other ways I get my inspiration. Anything visually pleasing attracts my attention and I always stop to explore the different elements and how they come together to make an alluring visual. It could be a craft item, a movie (I love the way good videographers frame their shots), non-scrapbooking magazines, architecture, dance choreography, or photography. All of these artistic forms have given me ideas.
The elements of design and the things humans find aesthetically pleasing are the same from one form to the next. It’s just a matter or learning how to translate those ideas into whatever art form you do.
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Like This
12×12 Layout
Journaling to my son reads: Normally when I get out the camera anymore you either duck and take cover or you flash me a series of crazy faces. But today you wanted a picture of yourself doing something different. What does your pose mean? I have NO IDEA.
To see an enlargement of layout, click here.
Supplies: Patterned paper (Making Memories, My Mind’s Eye, other unknown) * Chipboard letters (Heidi Swapp) * Transparency (Hambly) * Chipboard embellishment (Scenic Route) * Bling (Me and My Big Ideas, Heidi Swapp) * Rub-on (7 Gypsies) * cup of milk embellishment (cut out from a cereal box).
