FAQ: where do you get your inspiration?

inspiration is nonsense? 

What exactly is inspiration? For me, it is pausing for a moment, taking a rest and feeling what is going on inside me. But is that inspiration? According to some people, it has to come from outside. Or even something that comes to you from the universe, like a gift. But inspiration in that sense is nonsense. Inspiration has everyone, is always there and is inside yourself. 

It is a mix

If I just look inside and notice how I feel, no drawing will come out of my hands yet, of course. But what I do consciously do is put my feelings into something that would help me. I think about how I would like to cycle to a cosy cottage, or pick apples in an orchard, sometimes I need company and think of a winter party with lots of people. But even those ideas don't come out of the blue. It's a mix. 

A mix of things that make me happy, my dream world, feelings, desires. But also more tangible things like things I like, or have seen recently. A beautiful landscape during my walks can just become part of an illustration without me being aware of it. 

Inspiration is training

For me now, it is an inexhaustible resource. I always have something to paint or draw. I even have whole lists of things that inspire me. Example of such a list: an old-fashioned wood-fired cooker, a fox in a snowy landscape, geese (don't ask me why), baking bread, a house with a beautiful facade and so on. 

How do I arrive at my unique, combined ideas? Well, it's a matter of practice. I shouldn't be busy or stressed. Preferably, I actually make time for it. I sit down with my sketchbook and scribble around. Sometimes something has already formed in my head and I just need to get it down on paper. Sometimes I sketch mini doodles until I find what I'm looking for. But above all, it always fits my mood and needs (you know, I still paint as therapy for my PTSD ;-)). And I believe you can train this process! 

So what inspires me?

And then I will finally answer the most frequently asked question! What inspires me? 

As you have read, it is multi-faceted:

• My inner experiences and desires
• Fascinations (like those geese ;-))
• Beauty that I see and unconsciously incorporate into my illustrations.

And if for once I don't know? So then I can fall back on my fascinations, or 'beautiful things'. I sometimes visit a museum, look at paintings or go to the open-air museum, for example (I find it very inspiring!). I take a walk through a new nature reserve or look at my pinterest boards again. 

The trick (for me) is to then let it all go and trust that my subconscious will make it into something that suits me. And before I know it, I'm painting again. Lovely!