Creative Wellness Letters - 🍀 time to forage for inspiration?

Hi Reader, 

When inspiration is lacking, one of my favorite exercises is to go foraging for inspiration. I prescribe it to myself and to my coaching clients often!

(You know I love a plant metaphor, but since today is Earth Day, it seems even more fitting! 🌎)

Foraging is helpful when:

• You’ve taken a long break from your art and need to reconnect with your creative fuel
• You don’t know what to do next and you’re convinced that your inspiration has dried up permanently
• You’re trying to help a project take shape and you don’t quite know what it is yet
• You’re burned out and you don’t remember why you like(d) things

Foraging for inspiration can look like:

• Taking yourself on an artist date (as Julia Cameron talks about in The Artist’s Way)
• Making a list of longtime inspirational people or works of art
• Going into foraging mode for a day or a week and writing down everything that feels artistically exciting (or just fun!)
• Going to see a performance or art exhibit (maybe even in a medium other than your own)
• Asking yourself what you feel curious about and following that
• Or however you would like it to be!

When you’re feeling disconnected from your artistic inspiration, also remember that you don’t have to be inspired in order to sit down and make something. (Maybe it’s just a tiny something!)

You might be surprised at how the reconnection to creativity works on its own, once you get started!

For example:

Just because I don’t have any good ideas for composing at the moment doesn’t mean I can’t improvise

Just because improvising isn’t feeling great today doesn’t mean I can’t play something familiar, and reap the benefits of just exercising my fingers while making some pleasant sounds

Etc.

Here’s my list of recent musical inspiration / creative fuel:

(read on to the usual links section below for more visual inspiration)

• Seeing Douglas Lora play with the Berkeley Choro Ensemble
• The party / roda (AKA choro jam) that happened afterward (making music with friends + wine and pão de queijo - yes, please!) 
• Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini’s new album Guinga
• Vitor Gonçalves’ (one of my Brazilian piano teachers) new accordion album
• The stage presence of Casiopea (Pure cheese? Yes! Sheer delight? Also yes!)
• Tsuki the cat (always!) and this extra sticker I designed for Kickstarter rewards, just because it was fun

What’s on your current inspiration list? I’d love to know!

🕸️ Staying on the good side of the internet 🕸️

Current inspirations, in the visual realm!

• The planets throw an Earth Day party (also see Elle Cordova's font videos, if you haven't!)
• The colors in these photos and outfits (Sarah also did my latest head shots and she is the best!)
• These board books by Lea Redmond (who is constantly inventing cool, clever projects) that I just ordered for my nephew 
• This galaxy washi tape that I bought to make Kickstarter packaging more fun
• Flowers and plants! (not pictured, but they're everywhere on my daily walks!)