Sunday 24 May 2020

Corralling Ideas

As well as sketchbooks for, well, sketching, I have a collection of themed A4 spiral-bound sketchbooks that are more like "inspiration" books. There's a book for:
  • Inspiration from nature, landscape, science, ancient history (e.g. stone carvings) - you could call this Primary Sources, as there's nothing in here that has been interpreted by an artist.
  • Secondary sources of inspiration: pics of other artists' work, postcards, magazine clippings of imagery and patterns that I like e.g. ceramics, printed textiles
  • Instructions for textile projects: clippings from textile magazines showing various artists' techniques that might be useful for future reference
  • Information book: a scrap book (now into it's third volume) of anything that may be useful for future reference (such as how to plan a vegetable plot rotation, or how to make soap) to inspiring quotes and tidbits of random knowledge. 
  • Ideas book: a more portable A5 book (also in three volumes) where I noodle with ideas, sketching out how to make something. I also use a variety of smaller Moleskine journals and notebooks that go with me in my handbag or slip into a back pocket when I go for a walk.  
  • Artist cards bought at exhibitions (these overflow into a box, too!)
Here's a quick flip through some of my collection:

Music: Bossanova
Ilya Truhanov
https://icons8.com/music

See those artist cards at the end? If you're like me and have your own collection of cards that you can't bring yourself to send to other people (come on, I'm not alone am I?!) there's a really interesting exercise you can do with them - for another time. 

Every now and then, I try and clear the backlog of things that I've cut out to be stuck in the relevant book. Once I've finally cleared the backlog (!) my intention is to have ONE book and just put everything in that. We'll see!

Because I'm so behind, and some things have just been rammed in loosely to be stuck in at a later date, I can come across totally random and wonderful ideas that I'd completely forgotten about. 

Today I came across an idea for some reverse appliqué, and an idea for making embroidered felt cuffs. The felt cuff idea is at least 17 years ago, because I remember wearing a prototype to a particular family party when my daughter was two years old. 

It's almost like having a diary (something I've never stuck at). Every now and then, I come across something that that reminds me of what I was doing at the time, and how I was feeling. Today I came across a list that just made me hoot with laughter. I might (or might not) share it another time; it has fruity language!

On the one hand, maybe I don't need all these books. You could say if I haven't done something by now, then I never will. But then again, I feel inspired now just by having a leaf through. Never mind decluttering my sock drawer, I'm a lost cause for hoarding ideas! 

How do you keep track of all your ideas and inspirations? Do you manage to keep up with yourself, or are you always playing catch-up?! Let me know!

12 comments:

  1. I loved your ideas of the different books for different 'subjects' but as I read on I realised that I would be forever in catchup mode. Maybe I'll stick with the box files and surprising discoveries instead - yes, I'm a hoarder of ideas too!

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    1. This is the conclusion I’m getting to, I can never keep up but can’t bring myself to chuck things away!

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  2. Ahhh Iz, wish I was as organized as you ... lots of ideas whirling around in my head as I see this video (ha, Sonia Delaunay circles always appealed to me too !) Kept a journal for some time of what I made (cloth or felt) then forgot about it because I was making to many things and forgot to take notes (but looking back I'm always amazed how "much" I did hahaha

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    1. Hmmm, it’s sort of organised, but I don’t maintain it very well - hence needing a big gluing session!

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  3. Oh goodness, I'd never be that organised - I do keep a diary, but that uses up all my capability in that direction. Sources and snippets end up all over the place!

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    1. Looks deceive; usually things are stuffed into loose folders waiting to be stuck in!

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  4. It will not surprise you to know I have books like that although not so organised. Mine are random collections. I have boxes and endless folders too but I did find on sorting out one such box recently that many of the things that once interested me no longer do!

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    1. I am surprised! I thought you were better at chucking things out! Interesting that you found you’d moved on, I think I have right up until I find something that sparks ideas again!

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  5. I just kept thinking: is being a creative just a good excuse for hoarding? Oh my.

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  6. Oh, also, and as "makers", we are just adding more stuff to the cluttered world. Yes, sounds very negative but, well, people say they want to upcycle, but it invariably means adding in more stuff. How often do we do projects that require absolutely nothing new.

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    1. Make sketchbooks out of old papers and junk mail - paint over the pages, then add the things you collect to them. Zero waste, nothing new required. I know what you mean, though, making is creating more "stuff" in a way - but better that the stuff is inspiring and heartwarming than just sitting in landfill.

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