three recent images that "inspire"...simply click through to see each one.
If you are on instagram (and of course you are "following" @shoplittlespoons!) you have probably seen many a post with the hashtag inspiration this time of year! I mean every other post perhaps? I am right there too. What I had forgotten was it used to relate to being able to receive some sort of divine communication! Now that is quite lofty for us designers to be saying! But is there a better word? When searching for a synonym none feel quite right: "insight" "innovation" (again too lofty) "finesse" "flair" (well that is fun) "creativity" (yes but..) "vision" (back to religion!) There does not seem to be a better word that captures that moment when you see something and there is a click in the brain that turns a thought into a color or bits of shapes into a pattern.
The images above were a recent bout of inspiration starting with the Amaryllis my dear Aunt Peggy sent us for the holiday. We had all taken bets one when it would open and we all got it wrong. It is truly a majestic plant and it like many flowers almost looks painted it is so perfect. Later the same day it bloomed I was in west chelsea and happened upon an exhibition by Hugh Steers of gorgeously lush paintings. such hauntingly similar hues as the flower. Love when that happens. In particular the edging on the house (cropped from original painting) and the edging on the flower. Even later as I was searching for something in my photo archive I found the third image that was taken last Fall in Red Hook. It is a close up of a painted wood picnic table outside of Steve's Key Lime pie. A happy (now distant) memory and yet still attracted to the pink / red combination. How will this influence me? It already has I am sure. But looking forward to discovering more.
and then sometimes you just have to plunk down on the floor and look back at some of the goodies collected to *inspire* ! no screen needed! yay!