Finding Inspiration in the Everyday: A Guide for Artists

One of the most persistent myths about artistic inspiration is that it arrives like a lightning bolt—a dramatic, sudden flash of insight that transforms the creator. While these moments of revelation certainly occur, relying solely on them can leave artists staring at blank canvases for uncomfortably long periods.

The truth is that inspiration is more often found in quiet observation and mindful engagement with the ordinary world around us. Learning to see the extraordinary in everyday moments is a skill that can be developed, providing a consistent wellspring of ideas when dramatic inspiration is nowhere to be found.

The Mindset of Discovery

Before exploring specific techniques, it's important to cultivate a mindset conducive to finding inspiration. This begins with a fundamental shift in perspective—from passive waiting to active seeking.

Cultivating Curiosity

Children naturally possess a sense of wonder about the world. They examine insects with fascination, ask endless questions, and see magical possibilities in ordinary objects. As adults, we often lose this curiosity, moving through our environments on autopilot.

Rekindling this childlike curiosity involves:

• Asking "what if?" questions about ordinary scenes and objects
• Looking at familiar environments as if seeing them for the first time
• Questioning assumptions about how things work or why they appear as they do

Artist Paul Klee famously described this approach as "taking a line for a walk"—allowing oneself to follow curiosity without predetermined destinations.

Slowing Down

Modern life moves at a relentless pace, with digital distractions constantly competing for our attention. Inspiration, however, often requires mental space and unhurried observation.

Techniques for slowing down include:

• Dedicating time for unstructured observation without digital devices
• Practicing mindfulness techniques that bring attention to the present moment
• Taking different routes to familiar destinations to notice new details
• Giving yourself permission to linger over interesting sights, sounds, or textures

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust

Everyday Sources of Inspiration

With a mindset of curious discovery, the world becomes a vast resource for creative inspiration. Here are specific everyday sources worth exploring:

The Natural World

Nature has inspired artists throughout history, from cave paintings to contemporary environmental art. Even in urban environments, natural elements offer endless inspiration:

• The patterns of light filtering through leaves or reflecting on water
• The intricate structures of plants, from the geometry of succulents to the chaos of vines
• Weather phenomena—the colors of sunsets, cloud formations, or the patterns of frost
• Seasonal changes and transitions in familiar natural spaces

Try keeping a nature journal where you document interesting observations through quick sketches, photographs, or written descriptions.

Urban Environments

Cities are dense with visual stimulation, offering a collision of textures, colors, and narratives:

• Architectural details often overlooked—doorways, windows, stairwells, shadows cast by buildings
• The juxtaposition of old and new structures, planned and unplanned elements
• Urban decay—peeling paint, weathered signs, cracked sidewalks revealing unintentional beauty
• The rhythm and flow of human movement through public spaces

Urban sketching has become a popular practice, with artists documenting their cities through on-location drawing. Even a short lunch break can become an opportunity for creative observation.

Domestic Spaces

Our homes contain countless potential inspirations, often hiding in plain sight:

• The play of light and shadow throughout the day as sunlight moves through windows
• Household objects viewed from unusual angles or in different lighting
• The textures of fabrics, wood grain, or weathered household items
• Arrangements of ordinary objects—a dish rack with gleaming glasses, vegetables before cooking

Many great artists have created compelling work from humble domestic subjects—consider Morandi's bottles, Van Gogh's chairs, or O'Keeffe's close studies of flowers.

Human Stories

People-watching has long been a source of artistic inspiration, offering glimpses into countless human narratives:

• Expressions and gestures observed in public places
• Overheard conversations that suggest larger stories
• The diversity of human appearances, clothing styles, and personal expressions
• Interactions between people—moments of connection, conflict, or shared experience

Consider keeping a small sketchbook for quick gestural drawings of people in motion, or noting interesting character details for later exploration.

Practical Exercises for Finding Inspiration

Beyond general awareness, specific exercises can help train your eye to find inspiration in everyday surroundings:

The Detail Study Challenge

Choose an ordinary object and challenge yourself to create ten different studies of it, focusing on:

• Different angles and perspectives
• Extreme close-ups of textural elements
• Various lighting conditions
• Abstract interpretations focusing on shape, line, or color

This exercise, popularized by drawing instructor Betty Edwards, trains you to see beyond labels to the actual visual qualities of objects.

Color Collection

Spend a day collecting colors from your environment:

• Photograph interesting color combinations you encounter
• Create small color swatches based on observed colors
• Note unexpected color relationships in ordinary scenes

These collections can inspire color palettes for future projects, helping you move beyond default color choices.

Texture Rubbings

Carry paper and crayons or graphite to create rubbings of interesting textures:

• Tree bark, leaves, and natural elements
• Architectural details like grates, manhole covers, or decorative reliefs
• Textured fabrics or surfaces in your home

These texture collections can inform surface treatments in your artwork or become interesting collage elements.

The Time-Lapse Observation

Choose a single location and observe it at different times of day, noting changes in:

• Light quality and direction
• Color temperature
• Human activity
• Mood and atmosphere

Monet's series paintings of haystacks, cathedrals, and water lilies demonstrate how a single subject transforms dramatically under different conditions.

Random Word Association

Combine everyday observation with creative constraints:

• Select a random word from a dictionary or word generator
• Take a walk with that word in mind, looking for connections or associations
• Document what you find through photographs, sketches, or notes

This exercise creates a focused lens for observation while introducing an element of chance that can lead to unexpected discoveries.

Capturing and Preserving Inspiration

Finding inspiration is only useful if you can capture and access it when needed. Develop systems for collecting and organizing inspirational material:

The Artist's Journal

A dedicated sketchbook or journal serves as a repository for observations and ideas:

• Keep it portable enough to carry regularly
• Combine sketches, notes, and collected materials (ticket stubs, leaves, fabric swatches)
• Date entries to track the evolution of ideas over time
• Review periodically to reconnect with earlier observations

Digital Collections

Digital tools can complement physical collections:

• Create organized photo albums for different categories of inspiration
• Use apps like Pinterest or Milanote for visual collections
• Record voice notes when writing or drawing isn't practical
• Tag and organize digital materials for easy retrieval

The key is creating a system you'll actually use, balancing organization with spontaneity.

The Inspiration Archive

Create a physical space for tangible inspirational materials:

• Collect textures, color swatches, interesting materials
• Save clippings, postcards, or printed images
• Organize by theme, color, or potential project
• Display currently relevant items in your workspace

The physical nature of these collections engages different senses, sometimes triggering connections digital archives might miss.

From Inspiration to Creation

Gathering inspiration is only the beginning—the challenge is transforming these observations into finished artwork.

Creating Constraints

Paradoxically, limitations often fuel creativity. When faced with abundant inspiration, create productive constraints:

• Select a limited color palette based on your observations
• Choose a specific technique or medium to explore the subject
• Set time limits for exploration to prevent overthinking
• Focus on a single aspect of your inspiration—texture, color, form, or narrative

Building a Regular Practice

Inspiration becomes most useful within the context of consistent creative practice:

• Schedule regular studio time, even brief sessions
• Begin work before feeling "inspired"—often the process itself generates momentum
• Alternate between experimental play and focused production
• Connect observation days with creation days in a sustainable rhythm

As painter Chuck Close famously said, "Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work."

Allowing Transformation

Finished artwork rarely mirrors initial inspiration exactly. Allow your observations to transform through:

• Combining multiple inspirational elements
• Abstracting or simplifying observed details
• Incorporating personal symbolic meanings
• Responding to what emerges during the creative process

"Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible." - Paul Klee

When Inspiration Feels Elusive

Even with these practices, there will be times when inspiration seems distant. During these periods:

Return to Fundamentals

Sometimes the pressure to be "inspired" creates unhelpful resistance. Return to basic practices:

• Work on technical exercises without expectation of creating finished art
• Copy works you admire to understand their construction
• Revisit older projects with fresh eyes
• Focus on craft and process rather than outcomes

Change Your Environment

When familiar surroundings no longer spark curiosity:

• Visit new neighborhoods in your city
• Explore environments at unusual hours
• Exchange studios with another artist temporarily
• Rearrange your workspace to see materials differently

Collaborative Inspiration

Engaging with other creative people can reignite inspiration:

• Join drawing groups or art walks
• Participate in creative challenges with friends
• Share observations and discoveries with other artists
• Collaborate on projects that incorporate different perspectives

Conclusion: The Art of Seeing

Ultimately, finding inspiration in the everyday is about developing what writer Annie Dillard called "the art of seeing"—a practiced attentiveness to the world around us. It's about recognizing that inspiration isn't something that happens to us, but something we actively cultivate through curious engagement with our surroundings.

The most ordinary moments—morning light on a kitchen counter, the geometric shadows of a fire escape, the weathered texture of a garden gate—contain boundless potential for artistic exploration. By training ourselves to notice and document these moments, we create a renewable resource of inspiration that sustains our creative practice through both breakthrough moments and quieter periods of steady work.

The next time you find yourself searching for inspiration, remember that it might not arrive as a dramatic revelation, but as a quiet noticing of something that's been in front of you all along—waiting patiently for you to truly see it.