5 Ways I Find Creative Inspiration For My Next Project

Creative people are not just born with hundreds of ideas swimming around in their heads that must come out. 

For most of us, creativity comes through practice, and we are often observant of things around us and wonder if we can duplicate something similar or make something new out of an object.  It takes practice to look at things differently and think outside the box. 

Just as a writer must write often and be dedicated to improving, a creative person, whether in art, fashion, home decor, or crafts, must constantly seek new creative inspiration.  I find creative inspiration through some of my favorite sources.

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5 Ways I Find Creative Inspiration For My Next Project

I am a creative person, but I have to work at it.

Ironically, I am also a natural left-brained person who thinks logically and in straight lines and rules—hence my former career in computer programming. This often means I thrive on repetition, order, exact form, and perfection (okay, call me OCD), and sometimes, that part of my brain gets in the way of my creativity.

The perfect interior design for a new project just doesn’t come to me like divine intervention. Most of the time, I take cues from the architecture of the house itself and then turn to some of my favorite sources of creative inspiration to get my mind focused on solutions for a style or look.

For example, I am currently trying to update the decor in my master bathroom.  I sort of “know” what look and feel I want for the room, but I need to mentally work out the details through some of my go-to sources of creative inspiration.

So, what are my most-used sources for creative inspiration?

First up, Magazines!

Does anyone love home decor and DIY magazines as much as I do?

Even though they are available online, I still look forward to the array of monthly magazine subscriptions arriving in my mailbox each month. I refuse to give them up. I look through them and read the articles at least twice before storing them in the magazine basket for a year.

At the beginning of each year, I painstakingly and patiently go through every monthly issue again to tear out pages for inspiration. I then put those pages in sheet protectors and store them in my fabric-covered inspiration binders. I add post-it notes and idea notes to the pages for future reference.

With almost every new project I start in my home, I browse through my inspiration binders to collect notes and pages. If I am definitely using an idea page or it inspires my own twist on an idea, then those pages go in the binder for the new project. See my Design Notebook posts here.

One of my favorite sources of creative inspiration is Pinterest!

What did we ever do before Pinterest? I use Pinterest so much these days for inspiration for home improvement projects, recipes, crafts, inspirational quotes, Bible studies, and, of course, blogging. It is often my first go-to source when I am trying to figure something out for a craft project or just to learn more about a particular subject, like SEO and blogging traffic.

Pinterest keeps me inspired and informed, and provides a source of constant inspiration.

Linkups and blog parties.

As a blogger, I co-host a weekly linkup party at Home Matters Linky Party. Through this weekly party, I have created lasting online friendships and get to visit many other talented bloggers in the recipe, home improvement, and craft industries.

However, I also attend other weekly linkup parties and visit other bloggers.  I enjoy their stories, fill my Pinterest and Tailwind feed with their ideas, and have tried so many new recipes that my husband often asks if a new recipe I have prepared that night is from a blog.

Linkups and blog parties are more than just a way to see my posts. Every week, I try hard to find other creative posts for inspiration. It is also a time to encourage another blogger on their journey by visiting their post or commenting.

Thrift stores and antique stores.

I can spend hours in a good thrift store.

Walking through the aisles and finding potential new projects or treasures that bring up memories of my childhood is one of my happy places. It’s about finding something that needs just a little bit of tender loving care or a complete makeover and then becomes a unique conversation piece in my home decor.

Something that can’t be found in a mass-produced home decor store.

But don’t get me wrong, I visit those stores too.  They are a great source of new trends and fun styles on the market, which is why they are also on my list for creative inspiration.

Specialty gift store and shops.

While I love thrift and antique stores the most for inspiration, I will never turn my back on new and trendy gift shops and home decor stores.  Online stores are even better!

They can be an excellent source for display inspiration, current trends, and new color choices.

It is like keeping your pulse on the mainstream design trends but learning how to use them for your style instead of buying them because they are the current trend only.

Current trends in home decor are essential to pay attention to, but never fully follow.

If you can appreciate the latest decor style in pillows for your sofa and fabric colors for chairs, but know that you can’t envision it in your home, that is okay.

Trends will always come and go.  Pick what you know will have a longer shelf life in your home than the next trend that will arrive in three months.

Magazines, thrift stores, Pinterest, gift shops, and other bloggers are the best sources of creative inspiration.

This brings me back full circle to magazines. Magazines and home decor stores go hand in hand. They are great sources of styles and trends, and they can inspire your new living room design by letting you know what styles are popular at this moment.

And notice I said inspire, not dictate.

All of the sources I use for creative inspiration are just that—inspiration. They get my creative thoughts flowing and open my mind to new ideas that I can use to create my own.

Through these five sources and others that I encounter along the way, I am continuously nurturing my need for creative inspiration and simultaneously learning many new things.

Never stop learning and find your sources of creative inspiration.

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”  Proverbs 24: 3-4

If you are looking for more ideas and inspiration, you will enjoy these posts:

What To Do When You Are Ready To Change Your FarmHouse Interiors

7 Practical Guidelines To Choose The Design Style Of Your Home

Top 15 Front Porch Styling Tips

How To Plan For Home Improvement Success Every Time!