My Inspiration Party!

I know I'm in just under the wire here. I spent today trying to re-organize my studio and the inventory for my vintage shop - my house is a mess!! It's a happy mess as I am making some progress on getting my overflowing studio (aka. closet) in some semblance of order. Anyway, this brings me to my first way to kick-start my creativity - get organized! Sorting through a collection of things, bringing the older supplies to the top of the pile, can really get the creative juices going! So...
#1 - Clean out and re-organize! Find those forgotten treasures and get going!

#2 - Go for a walk. Get out into nature and the fresh air and breathe for a bit. You never know what you'll find. Yesterday, I took the dogs for a walk and found the most amazing mushrooms! They got me thinking outside the box as I was lost in their whimsical shapes. I always like to think that maybe there actually is some magical place where gnomes make their homes in a big mushroom :) Here are some shots of my mushrooms:

#3 - Step out of your typical medium and dabble in something else. I LOVE beadwork but sometimes I just have to remove myself from it and spend some time doing something else. I have a really great stash of vintage goodies and when I'm feeling in the need to kick-start my creativity I like to put together inspiration kits. They are simply items which share a common theme or color scheme. They're great to take out and look at when the creative well is running low. Here are some of my favorites:
#4 - PAINT CHIPS!! I love going to the home improvement store and ransacking the color chips in the paint department. I grab everything that strikes my fancy - I'm sure they just LOVE to see me coming!!
And finally, #5 is my puppies! When I'm feeling overwhelmed and a little blocked, just spending time with Ogie and Freckles helps immensely! Aren't they just the sweetest?