It's the tiniest things that inspire the greatest creativity.
Wouldn't you say?
It's important to keep your secret recipe near.
The one that awakens your inner magic.
Bits of this and a few bobs of that.
Sprinkled all around to remind you where your heart's at.
Just tid-bits of things you love and like.
It's what happening in the secret garden today.
Come on in.
Sparkles, art supplies, tea cups and joy.
Those are the first ingredients on my list.
What's on yours?
The sound of a little piano the Hatter gave me recently.
(dear to each other forever)
And the pruned morsels of spent tea roses.
Add a few ribbons and other ruffled petals…
For the perfect concoction called…
Just what I needed today.
Creativity comes in so many forms.
It doesn't need to fit in anyone's box but your own.
Whatever it is that brings you joy is the name of this game.
To create the best elixir around.
It creates cheer and heart happiness.
To just take some time for your own nonsense and play.
Crochet pieces from a big bag of estate sale findings.
A smattering of your favorite colors.
Swirl it all together…
And you've concocted…
Your very own…
Inspiration palette.
A palette that may only have rhyme or reason to you.
But it's important to have fun.
A little nonsense never hurt anyone.
In fact, in can be the best cure to get you out of your creative slump.
Bored, depressed, lazy?
Toss around some glitter and petals and feel better in 15 minutes or your money back!
Guaranteed 😉
I know I know, I'm so silly.
Ridiculous even.
But even I, who chose a creative path as my journey when I was just a teen, needs to remind herself to take it easy and go out and conjure up some creative nonsense.
Throw a little tea party for one.
As we get older we can start to forget the multitude of small fun things we enjoy.
All the little things that make up the joys of our heart.
What are the joys of your heart?
The littlest things?
I have an impromptu idea.
Lets make a list for each other, shall we?
I'll give you three and you can share three if you so wish.
Even things you love that you have forgotten to do for some time.
My first one is as seen in this post, playing with bits and bobs.
Just the joy of standing in the breeze tossing petals and sparkles around.
Second is making little doll clothes.
I love making doll clothes, why have I forgotten to do this for a while?
Third is to go into a very quiet antique store during the week.
When no one is there, and just browse with no worry of time or place.
Smell old books and look in every nook and cranny.
All of those things lead to finding inspiration for me.
What about you?
Hope you're all doing good out there in your neck of the woods.
Warmest vibes from me to you!
See you sooon <3
Love,
Vanessa
oh, you are pure magic! please be my fairy godmother? all of my heart unfolds with your words today. to play in the sun with the earth and its endless delights (both the natural and glittery kind) is all i want! my three things are: sculpting tiny treasures, talking with trees and watching cocteau films in the dark. thank you for every way you brighten my interweb-world. <3
Spending hours in a library… browsing.. choosing books… I love the smell the atmosphere of being sheltered between those really high , tall bookcases… alone with my imagination and curiosity of what the pages held.. learning about any subject i was remotely interested in.. Ofcourse thats the days of the OLD libraries.. not todays libraries.. I mean the old fashioned ones where you had to whisper… and computers were far and few between… looking up a book in the old card files using the dewey decimal system… Remember the challenge of tracking down a book and the triumph of finding it..?
Sitting on my bed going thru my grandmothers ‘treasure chest’….I did it when i was a child… Its a shoe box size box full of little boxes and inside of those is my grandmothers jewelry… As a child i’d sit on her bed for hours going thru that box.. trying things on… oh its only costume jewelry but so bright and shiney and colorful even to this day.. And once in a blue moon i’ll sit on my bed and open that box and remember… its such a wonderful thing to do….
Take a walk when the snow is falling… If you’ve never done it.. you’d be amazed at the hush that comes over the world… Its like the world stops turning just for a moment and time stands still…..and if your really quiet you can hear the snow hitting the ground..
Thank you V … You brighten my day…… Hugs! deb
I love playing in my studio with all my favorite supplies creating something magical..
I love fresh cut flowers in a vase…
I love browsing a Thrift Shop during the week when it is less hectic.. looking for a treasure!
Hi Vanessa! I love this post-beautiful pictures and so true that it is necessary to do things that make you play and be happy. Three of my things might be making pictures of faces-I am not worried about realism really and they all tend to be front on, staring at the viewer, but I find it endlessly satisfying. Number two, particularly at the moment, is tiny things. On my table at the moment I have a collection of tiny houses, which I am finding very inspiring. I have been making my own too, decorating them in gold, black and turquoise, and also painting them. Dolls houses are also a favourite thing, and yesterday, when tidying, I found some of my dolls house treasure I had forgotten all about. Number three-so many choices so I can’t choose. My cats, reading, and knitting at the moment. I am finding knitting positively addictive!
Have fun with those lovely colours and your tiny piano-that is so great!
Good Morning Sweet Vanessa
As usual your pictures are magical* Your blog post is fantastic, I love every word and every picture. Well 3 things for me, thats so hard to only choose 3. I would say gardening is my number one and by the way, I will be bringing glitter out to it today. Magazines is my number 2. I have an addiction to them, all of them but mostly garden and decorating ones oh and craft ones 🙂 my number 3 is flea marketing, walking around finding treasures is the best time ever* have a wonderful day Vanessa
deezie
Deb, you reminded me of something wonderful that happened to me. See, it usually snows here in the high desert in February. One February a few years,ago I woke up at 2a.m. & it was snowing. I got bundled up and went outside. Everything was white & magical. It was so quiet with the beautiful silence of snow falling. Then I realized that the sky was pink, everything around me was glowing in pink & a faint lavender. It was amazing & glorious & I will never forget it. The silence of the snow, the frosted branches & the pink glow <3 <3 <3
Such beautiful photos and thoughts! I find inspiration by going outside at night and watching the moon and stars, sitting in coffee shops watching people go about their lives and imagining the wonderful things they will do, and revisiting the whimsical animated movies of my childhood. Oh, and of course, magazines, as deezie says!
you make my heart smile
Your comment to Deb about your middle of the night snow walk made me remember 6 truly profound “spiritual” experiences that I’ve had in my life. All of them, I realized, happened when I was very still. I’m such a busy, creative person, but you’ve helped me realize that I need more still, quiet, and reflective time in my life.
Your posts are always inspiring. No pressure, but even a few of your lovely photos mixed with a smattering of your wise thoughts lighten my day.
One – playing musical instruments, even if it’s only my throat. Writing songs and such.
Two – being outside, doing anything. Walking somewhere, or even in circles. Just sitting in a peaceful place. I love walking through the woods, so deep I may get lost, and imagining stories and treehouse builds. When I’m with my grandma, it’s picking berries and feeding birds and watering flowers.
Three – decorating. I love it. I move my room all around and figure out different ways to arrange things. I pull different things out, put some things away, try cluttering it up or making it simple. It’s so much fun to just enjoy what I have and make the same ole stuff look different
1: Being out in Nature, just Experiencing it…
2: The lure of Abandoned Buildings or Ruins, being reclaimed by the elements, they intrigue me…
3: The Thrill of the Hunt for Found Treasures…
I love this post. Love the beautiful pictures.
The joys of my life are many; a lot involve gardening and flowers. I love planting something and watching it grow and then waiting to see if it will come up again the next year. The other day I gave my sister in law some plants from my garden and she told me today they are already blooming. It is so nice to share.
I love going to the craft stores, bookstores, and nurseries.
What wonderful inspiration! I just love the ideas you share. Yes, an antique shop. . .or library. . .by oneself with just hours to look, touch, smell, read. Without interruption, even if not really “alone”. A walk in the woods, and taking time to examine tree barks, leaves, rocks, a small stream or brook. . .and listen to and observe the creatures/birds/insects which inhabit such magical places.
Oh, the Dewey Decimal System!–so thought I was the only one who loved the magic of the library and tracking down a book. Deb, you are so right. Also enjoy the quiet, often I wake at 3 a.m. and journal my thoughts–so nice to know the phone won’t ring. And lastly, at this time of year, waiting for the first sighting of the fireflies, or as we call them, lightning bugs. “Fireflies” seems so much more magical, as if they would be the only light bearers to visit Vanessa’s garden.
….dreamy….
The 17th was my birthday and it was dreamy, because i did EXACTLY what you say here. Three little things. Wanna know what they were? 1. ATE PANCAKES. They are so fun to me! The fat Elvis is a pancake with banana and peanut butter inside. I think everyone should try a fat Elvis if they can. And if you can partner it with an avocado and tomato omelet, why, it must be your birthday too 🙂 2. I READ A JUDY BLUME BOOK — you know like when we were kids and a book is exactly what we needed to do to stay out of mom’s way or maybe it was raining or maybe it was summertime and you’d throw your leg over the chair and read and kinda look up at some point surprised at where you were? Yah. I did that. 3. DANCED. with my dogs. We partied like it was 1999 in the yard. They prefer freestyle versus choreographed but no matter what their tails wagged. 🙂
I’m glad your world is treating you well. <3 <3 <3 🙂 xoxoxviiroostah
Oh yes, being in an antique mall or store and just browsing at your own pace and hearts content…I agree, that is truly magical.
Another of my faves: I like going to the beach at sunset and in the evenings when the moon glistens on the water. Just listening to the waves roll in and out, gently layering themselves on the shoreline. Feeling that you are one with the tides and the earth connection.
One day, I’ll need to go for a nice long walk. When it’s not so hot. When I have no meals to cook, no places to be, no chores awaiting me upon my return. I haven’t done this in a long while. Second, I’m not great at it, but I love to sketch and watercolor. Listening to Vivaldi, tea, candles. And, again, nothing waiting for me when I’m done. No chores, studying, meal prep, nada! Third, sitting with my girls and just laughing and chit chatting. No dance or soccer to have to go to, just listening to each other. Ideas flowing, jokes swirling, food munching. I must get to these soon. Thanks for the reminder! xo Jen
I love what you wrote about sprinkling what inspires you around your space. Right now I have shells. Need to think and add more! I hope you don’t mind, I’m including a snippet of your post (and link to your post) in my newsletter which is all about what is inspiring me. If you want to learn more about my newsletter visit: https://mycreativeresolution.com/newsletter/
Thanks so much! Eileen