Is The Grass Really That Much Greener? Finding Inspiration Where You Are

Posted by Marnie Burch on

Use what you’ve got.

Don’t reinvent the wheel.

Love the one you’re with.

How many more clichés can I stick in here? A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush? The grass is always greener on the other side?

Sometimes I feel I have to look outside of my house or my city or my life to find the good stuff, the truly inspiring stuff, as though what I have around and in front of and inside me isn’t good enough. But the mundane scraps of life can be the most inspiring. Sometimes I simply need to take inspiration from what’s right in front of me.

Remainders from a failed polymer clay experiment can end up being far more beautiful than my successes. Scrap pieces of paper can make wonderful, if accidental, patterns. And leftover ovals cut from bracelets can make stunning earrings.

Seeking inspiration from far away external sources is a great thing. After all, who doesn’t love a long drive through the mountains or sitting quietly on a beach or gazing at paintings in a museum? These are important for filling the creative well, replenishing the creative energy we all use up every day, no matter how uncreative our jobs may be.

But I also need to embrace the mundane things in life, the things close by. They’re just as inspiring as, perhaps more so than, the enticing green grass on the other side of the fence—the green grass that isn’t always quite so green once I get up close.

What inspires you? What gets your creative gears turning? What fills you up when you’re feeling depleted? Or did I perhaps miss a cliché? 😀

Let me know by commenting below.


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