How I Find Inspiration as a Maker – It’s Not Where You Think

People often ask me, “Where do you get your ideas?” As if there’s a magical fountain of inspiration I visit. The truth is, I don’t go searching far. I just look closely. I notice things—quirky textures, unusual shapes, the quiet beauty in nature and everyday objects. Here’s how I find inspiration….

If you’re a curious maker like me, you know inspiration rarely comes in grand gestures. It arrives in moments… in scraps, shadows, cracks, and stories whispered by nature.

Here’s a story from my early art college days. As a young ‘fresh-out-of-highschool’ student my classmates and I hadn’t really sized each other up yet. We were given a first assignment and eager to show off our skills. One quiet fellow stood out to me as he would be so occupied with looking intensely at what he was doing, whether eating his bag of chips or his art work. I admit I thought it was quite odd. Once the first assignment came in the whole class was blown away as his work had such a heightened sense of realism, much from how well he observed all around him. That has stuck in my mind for over 4 decades!

I Let Nature Lead

There’s nothing like a walk at the beach or in the woods at local parks to get my mind spinning or get out of a creative rut. The patterns on a leaf, the bark peeling from a birch tree, the curve of a branch—it all speaks to form, texture, and possibility.

I’ve brought home everything from plant specimens to stones, just to study them. Not everything ends up in a project, but each thing fuels the creative engine.

• That vein on a leaf? Perfect for sun-printing or Eco Printing.
• That gnarled stick? A potential handle for a bowl.
• A puddle pattern in the mud? A concrete texture waiting to happen.
• An interesting weed specimen? Perfect material for Cyanotype printing

Inspiration Is Everywhere—If You’re Looking

For the creatively inclined, inspiration can hide in plain sight:

• A weathered piece of driftwood with lines shaped by time.
• The texture of peeling paint on an old barn.
• Shadows of leaves dancing across a sidewalk.

When you train your eyes to see details, everything becomes potential material. Sometimes the most unexpected place; simple walk through nature, a trip to the recycling bin, or an unexpected stain on concrete might all become jumping-off points for art.

Observation: The First Spark

Being creative means being observant. Whether you’re a painter, sculptor, photographer, famous artist or crafter, you’re constantly scanning for textures, light, colours, and stories. You start asking questions like:

• What if I combined these two things?
• What happens if I distort that shape?
• How would this feel cast in concrete, or stitched into fabric?

Curiosity fuels creativity. And asking “what if?” is often the first step to making something beautiful and original.

Maybe it’s the Wildlife you love

I was so happy that another young robin family was growing at my back door.

Later that day I was grief-stricken to find that poor Momma Robin had somehow to succomb to some demise; probably from a hawk or falcon sitting in the trees.

Nature can be cruel to leave such pretty coloured eggs without a needed incubator. I had tried to warm them once before so I knew I could not step in.

It did inspire me however to take on the challenge of needle felting a Momma Robin and chicks. Exploring a variety of media for a piece of art makes for wider perspective in artworks.

That vision of how they can be so persistent to be fed just needed to be recreated. What do you think?

A couple weeks later I was pleased to see that indeed some robins managed to raise their young successfully and poise for me to capture it.

I Make Before I Understand

It might sound backwards, but I often start making before I know what I’m making. I’ll cast something in concrete, steam a roll of fabric & leaves in the microwave, or play with bleach on fabric—just to see what happens. Most of the fun is from not knowing exactly how it will turn out!

These experiments don’t always work. Sometimes they’re downright weird. But they push me forward. That’s where inspiration hides: in the “what ifs.” Don’t discount your failures, lack of talent or silly play! When I taught in the Art Fundamentals program I kept hearing students proclaim that they were unable before they even tried, that would already stifle them before they started!

Nature as an Endless Muse

Many creatives find that nature is the ultimate source of inspiration. The textures, colors, patterns, and rhythms of natural forms never repeat the same way twice. From the fine veins of a leaf to the structure of a pine cone, nature offers ideas that no factory could replicate.

How lucky I was that day to come upon these amazing Cecropia Moths. Even though they were next to a well travelled walkway, no one else even noticed them.

That amazing discovery and observation of so many textures has taken me on a journey to see how I make my own versions. It’s exciting for me but you should choose what speaks specifically to you.

Here is a little sneak peek at what I’m playing with.

I’m sure I am not alone when I say that when a new idea is being worked on it is like the world does not exist, being absolutely consumed!

If your mind feels cluttered, a walk at the beach or in the woods can reset your senses—and refill your creative well.

Collecting & Curating

Creative people are often collectors—not just of materials, but of ideas. Inspiration is often gathered like a visual scrapbook:

• Pieces of interesting driftwood
• Scribbles in a sketchbook
• Folders of clipped images or Pinterest boards (mood boards)
• Jars filled with rusty nails, seed pods, or fabric scraps

By collecting the world around them, artists build a visual vocabulary. Even without a clear project in mind, these treasures become future tools for expression. How wonderful to make these bowls from all discarded and found materials!

Experimentation Over Perfection

One of the best ways to stay inspired is to keep making—even when you don’t feel inspired. Creativity builds momentum. When you allow room for play, for failure, for odd results, you invite unexpected discoveries. That “failed” cement bowl or misprinted fabric might lead to something stunning later.

Inspiration doesn’t always come before the work. Often, from personal experience it comes during the work, like spring garden cleaning.

Nature as an Endless Muse

Many creatives find that nature is the ultimate source of inspiration, that little push. The textures, colours, patterns, and rhythms of natural forms never repeat the same way twice. From the fine veins of a leaf to the structure of a pine cone, nature offers ideas that no factory could replicate.

Want to try it yourself?
Here are a few of my tutorials that started from random sparks of inspiration:

• Projects Made with Leaves
• Bleach Leaf Prints
• Huge Garden Concrete Face
• Paper Maché Clay Mushrooms

I’d love to hear what unexpected things inspire you. Share your stories in the comments or tag me on Instagram @MadeByBarb. Let’s keep seeing the beauty in the overlooked.