About inspiration
Well, it's been a much, much too long a while since I last posted here! So much has happened since my last post: my brother got married (the wedding was lovely, I made the bride's dress), me and J. had a wonderful, awesome holiday in New York, I volunteered at the Helsinki Comic Festival again which was lots of fun and I've done a whole lot of other stuff too. Sadly none of this stuff included making plushies or taking photos of them.
It's not that I lack inspiration, on the contrary my head is stuffed full of ideas, but I guess what I'm missing is the motivation or energy or whatever nebulous thing it is that makes us do instead of think. I think I just have too many ideas and don't quite know where to start with them.
So, I thought I'd ruminate a bit on inspiration in the hopes that thinking out loud about this stuff will make the jumble of ideas in my head more clear and organized.
For me inspiration can come from anywhere and usually it strikes at the most inopportune time, like when I'm just about to fall asleep or when I'm having a shower. Anything can set off my imagination, from something I read, saw on TV or in a dream, or as far as plushies are concerned, inspiration usually comes in the form of a theme I like or mood I'd like to convey or then I come across a brilliant fabric that's just waiting to be made into this or that plushie. I also find inspiration looking at photos, and they don't even have to be pictures of other plushies, like I mentioned, anything and everything can spark my imagination!
And on that note, here's a little mosaic of photos that have lit up my imagination of late.
1. deer 3, 2. 棕面白梅 Cotton Candy, 3. Untitled, 4. afternoon, 5. puppy, 6. Wake, 7. fall = flannel, 8. E is for.., 9. inspiration - SM2 autumn, 10. Souvenir, 11. Pigeon at the Empire State Building, 12. ersatz dress, 13. Naughty Needles Outtakes: Into the Woods, 14. Orange Square Inch 1, 15. Untitled, 16. Modern Souvenir
P.S.: Please excuse any flubs or fumbles that might be in this entry, as right now I'm afraid my head is more full of snot than ideas. I've caught an autumnal flu and it's making my thinking a wee bit fuzzy.
It's not that I lack inspiration, on the contrary my head is stuffed full of ideas, but I guess what I'm missing is the motivation or energy or whatever nebulous thing it is that makes us do instead of think. I think I just have too many ideas and don't quite know where to start with them.
So, I thought I'd ruminate a bit on inspiration in the hopes that thinking out loud about this stuff will make the jumble of ideas in my head more clear and organized.
For me inspiration can come from anywhere and usually it strikes at the most inopportune time, like when I'm just about to fall asleep or when I'm having a shower. Anything can set off my imagination, from something I read, saw on TV or in a dream, or as far as plushies are concerned, inspiration usually comes in the form of a theme I like or mood I'd like to convey or then I come across a brilliant fabric that's just waiting to be made into this or that plushie. I also find inspiration looking at photos, and they don't even have to be pictures of other plushies, like I mentioned, anything and everything can spark my imagination!
And on that note, here's a little mosaic of photos that have lit up my imagination of late.
1. deer 3, 2. 棕面白梅 Cotton Candy, 3. Untitled, 4. afternoon, 5. puppy, 6. Wake, 7. fall = flannel, 8. E is for.., 9. inspiration - SM2 autumn, 10. Souvenir, 11. Pigeon at the Empire State Building, 12. ersatz dress, 13. Naughty Needles Outtakes: Into the Woods, 14. Orange Square Inch 1, 15. Untitled, 16. Modern Souvenir
P.S.: Please excuse any flubs or fumbles that might be in this entry, as right now I'm afraid my head is more full of snot than ideas. I've caught an autumnal flu and it's making my thinking a wee bit fuzzy.
SM2...I never knew of them...oh, but now I do. I want to look like that all the time.
Posted by: toveb | September 26, 2009 at 02:40 PM
Yay, Eerika so happy to read this post, sorry about the flu though, I have a yukky cold, it is that time of year-yawn! I love your inspirational mosaic and can't wait to see what amazingly gorgeous thing falls from your mind and onto your sewing machine, you know how I love your work! I am also prone to being struck by ideas in the shower, when I was writing my undergraduate dissertation I used to keep a writing pad and pen in the bathroom! I would love to see some pictures of your sister in law's wedding dress, any chance at some point?
XXX
Posted by: Lisa | September 26, 2009 at 03:30 PM
Tove, SM2 is currently one of my favourite brands and a huge inspiration not only for my work but for my own clothes too.
Lisa, I used to keep a dictaphone next to my bed when I was writing my graduation piece so when inspiration struck right before sleep, I didn't have to put on the lights to write my idea down.
I hope to get picture's my new sister-in-law's dress from dad or when brother & new sister-in-law get their wedding photos, since I didn't have the presence of mind to take any myself.
Posted by: Kitty Vane | September 26, 2009 at 09:23 PM