The Art of Noticing
Hello and welcome to my very first blog post. Years ago, I wrote a personal blog where I chronicled my days at home with my three little children. There, I wrote about our unique living circumstances (living in a remote town of 80 people in the Yukon), as well as the creative projects that kept me a float during those very busy and often all consuming days. It is my hope to start writing here regularly, with an emphasis on living a creative life.
It is the start of a brand new year and with that I often look forward to new projects, new classes that I will teach, and begin looking for new inspiration. For me, living a creative life is all about finding inspiration and practicing the art of noticing.
The art of noticing can be as simple as taking a walk and slowing down enough to notice the sounds that you hear or the tiny details of your surroundings. This mindful practice can have a very positive effect on our personal wellbeing, encouraging us to be present and in the moment. When I make a conscious effort to slow down and notice, I am often inspired by some of the most very simple of things and often use this inspiration in my own personal art.
Here is a list of some of the things that inspire me in no particular oder:
dried seed pods on hibernating plants in the garden.
baking simple yet nourishing treats for my family
noticing colour combinations in nature (red and green holly berries and leaves, the red cliffs and steel blue sea)
candle lit suppers
watching my favourite Youtube artists and vloggers (Allison Dawrant, Adriana Tudorache, Erin Ellenberger)
playing with colour and marks in my sketchbok
the process of making my French press coffee
thrifting little treasures
walking through a busy city, feeling the energy of the people, people watching
birds. Wild birds, city birds, eagles in the sky.
finding and saving scraps of paper from packaging to collage in future pieces
I hope this little list helps get you inspired to slow down and start practicing the art of noticing. Why not start your own little running list in your journal or sketchbook. You never know what might spark your next idea!
Yours,
Johanna