5 ways to gather wonder for your art

Oct 14

Dear Creative Soul,

Today I want to remind you that there is magic everywhere when we remember to look for it.

In the curl of a fallen leaf. The delicate shape of a seed pod. A feather on our path, a scrap of old paper, the faded colors of something timeworn and loved.

So much of being an artist is simply noticing.

Noticing what makes us stop for a second. What catches our eye. What makes us curious enough to pick it up, take a photo, tuck it into a pocket, or bring it back to the art table.

Here in France, the colors of autumn are starting to appear, and it has me thinking about how much inspiration is already waiting for us out in the world.

We don't always need to go looking for a big idea. Sometimes we just need to look a little closer.

Let yourself notice

I think one of the most beautiful parts of being an artist happens before we make anything at all. It's that moment when something catches our attention.

Perhaps it's the unusual shape of a dried leaf. A piece of lace at a flea market. The colors on an old book cover. A botanical illustration. A word that seems to speak directly to you.

You don't necessarily know why you're drawn to it. You don't need to. Curiosity is enough.

When we allow ourselves to follow these little sparks of interest, we begin to collect the raw material for our creative practice.

Not just materials, but impressions, colors, textures, memories and possibilities. And sometimes those little discoveries become the beginning of an artwork.

Gather without knowing why

One of my favorite parts of the creative process happens before I even start making art: gathering the things that spark my curiosity. A dried leaf. A botanical image. An interesting word. A weathered scrap of paper. A feather. A piece of fabric or lace.

I don't always know how I'll use them, and that's part of the magic. In fact, I think it's much more interesting when we don't have to know.

Here is a simple way to start:

Try taking a walk with no artistic mission at all.
Let your eyes wander.
Notice the colors, textures and shapes around you.
Pick up what delights you and take it back to your creative space.
Take a photograph of something you can't bring home.

You might come back with a handful of seemingly unrelated treasures, and that's perfectly fine. You're not creating a finished artwork yet. You're simply gathering inspiration and possibilities…

5 ways to start gathering wonder:

An invitation to gather wonder

So here's your invitation for this week.

Take a walk. Look closely. Let yourself be drawn to colors, textures, shapes and unexpected treasures without worrying about what you'll do with them.

Follow that feeling and see where it takes you!

Find beauty in the unexpected

Not every treasure needs to come home with you. Some of the most wonderful sources of inspiration are things we can only admire where we find them.

You can start with nothing more than a leaf that caught your eye on your morning walk, an old book page you couldn't bear to throw away, a scrap of lace, a faded photograph or a color combination that simply makes you happy.

Watch what happens when ordinary things meet each other in unexpected ways. Something that seemed unremarkable on its own can take on a whole new life when it finds its place beside something else.

Little by little, the layers begin to build:

A color suggests another color.
A texture creates contrast.
An image brings a story.
A fragment of text adds a whisper of meaning.

And suddenly this beautiful mess starts becoming something that feels like you.

Create a little stash of wonder

When I start a collage project, I love having a messy stash of materials in front of me. There might be botanical images, old book pages, dried leaves, feathers, fabric, lace, ribbons, cardboard, vintage papers and all sorts of curious found pieces. I've done this many times in my own work, especially when creating nature-inspired collages.

I often gather far more materials than I will actually use, because having plenty of possibilities gives me room to play. And I love that feeling.

Everything is still a wonderful jumble of possibilities. Nothing has been decided. Nothing has to make sense yet.

You don't need an idea yet

This is something I wish more of us remembered about creativity. We don't always need an idea before we begin. Sometimes the idea comes because we begin.

Gathering can be the beginning. Playing can be the beginning. Moving pieces around your table can be the beginning.

The creative process rarely unfold in a straight line. As you work layer by layer, something will undoubtedly begin to emerge that you could never have planned. That's part of the joy!

Let the pieces tell you where they belong

This is where collage becomes especially magical. There is no need to know where every piece belongs before you begin…

Move things around.
Layer one fragment over another.
Try a botanical image beside an old piece of paper.
Place a feather over a patch of fabric.
Turn something upside down.
Let an interesting shape guide you.

Watch what happens when ordinary things meet each other in unexpected ways. Something that seemed unremarkable on its own can take on a whole new life when it finds its place beside something else.

Little by little, the layers begin to build:

A color suggests another color.
A texture creates contrast.
An image brings a story.
A fragment of text adds a whisper of meaning.

And suddenly this beautiful mess starts becoming something that feels like you.

If you have a stash of found papers and natural treasures already sitting somewhere in your home, bring it out. Spread everything across your art table and simply look.

What colors are calling to you?
Which textures make you want to touch them?
Are there two completely unrelated pieces that suddenly seem to belong together?

Follow that feeling and see where it takes you!

You don't need an idea yet.

Gather a few things that make you curious and bring them back to your art table. Then spread them out in front of you.

Move them around. Make a little mess. Follow the colors and textures that delight you. See what unexpected connections begin to appear.

And remember that the act of noticing is already part of making art. The more we pay attention, the more inspiration we begin to see.

From gathered treasures to collage art

If you find yourself wanting to take those gathered treasures one step further, this is exactly what inspired my class Naturalist Collage.

Nature and collage have long been two of my favorite things to combine. In this process, botanical images, old book pages, dried leaves, feathers, lace, fabric and other found treasures become richly layered pieces of a visual story.

The magic isn't in finding the "right" materials. It's in what happens when you bring them together.

Come gather, layer and create with me.