Porch Ponderings: Inspiration

Progress on the FAQ page continues, slowly but surely. Here is another marvelous question I received from a friend on Instagram...

What inspires you every day?

Natural things

Flowers, trees, hilly fields, sunrays, fog, snow (snow is more inspiring in December than in April, ha!) Studies show that experiencing nature can boost creativity, along with a host of other benefits. Take a look at this summary article for more info.

Music

Whether I'm listening to one of my playlists in the car, practicing piano, singing, or seeing a performance, there is always a line or a harmony that gets to me. I'm a terribly shy person, so music has always been my best expressive outlet. (No really, I'm lucky this blogging venture involves writing, rather than speaking.)

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to remain silent. ~ Victor Hugo

Research

Aside from nature and music, I'm pretty methodical about looking for inspiration. I have a short list of blogs I look up every day and certain magazines I always check out at the library or Barnes & Noble. I treat it a bit like science research (which is what I went to school for). Looking through media, I can identify trend topics and then I brainstorm my own interpretation of those topics. It's so important not to fall into a trap of simply copying when you're looking for inspiration. You have to make it your own. I always take care to add a distinctive "Heartland Lady" signature to everything I do. This means refined yet realistic… gorgeous and grounded. For instance, I'll get inspired looking through a Grandin Road catalog, until I notice some of the prices. Last summer, I put together some lovely hanging basket arrangements for a fraction of the Grandin Road pricetag. We can have nice things and not spend an arm and a leg for them. Like I said, refined yet realistic. :)

"Research"

Photos

The screensaver on my computer is a slideshow of my favorite photos: family, friends, nature shots, my best desserts, a few good quotes. Shucks, there's even a couple fluorescence microscopy images from my Cellular Biology days. I see this hodge podge of photos every time I'm on my computer; it's a special reminder of where I've been and all the things I love the most.

What inspires you every day?

'Til next time,

Eva