I’ll look back on this and smile because it was LIFE and I decided to LIVE it” – (Source)

I’ve become very conscious these past weeks that life feels like it’s passing me by. That I’m emotionally living in the future of ‘what could be’ rather than choosing to appreciate and enjoy the ‘right now’. And I’ve become very aware of why that it is and what I’m going to do about it.

You just need to read my ‘about’ page on this blog to understand why I chose to start this project. I wrote, “from this side of the computer screen I have a view into the lives of other creative sorts actively pursuing their creative lives”. This is what initially inspired me to start rediscovering my own creative life. But today I realise that it is in this ‘view into others lives’ that I’m becoming more lost and unsure of my own self. I’m so caught up in the fantasy of what a perfectly presented creative life ‘should’ look like that I’m not enjoying what is right in front of me, now.

So why is this happening? For me personally I’ve become aware that I’m spending too much time looking outward for inspiration of the perfect creative life. The very core of this project is being inspired by Pinterest. And yet this very tool has began to impact on me negatively. I remember excitedly introducing a friend to Pinterest some time ago and her comment was “it’s all very perfect isn’t it”, with a hint of sarcasm. At the time I brushed it off but now I understand what my friend meant. It’s all a little too perfect, too stylised, too staged and too unrealistic.

I don’t want to discredit this tool altogether as it is a great sharing platform for the creative community. And there really is wonderful inspiration to be found here. But I need to take a step back and start looking inward for what really inspires me. I need to concentrate on my personal and family values and what is really important to me. Not the fantasy of the perfectly styled artist studio, or home or food or whatever else it may be. So for this reason I’m changing the rules.

I’m making a commitment to take myself off social media. To reconnect with myself, my friends and family in person. To stop comparing myself to others and seeking inspiration in unrealistic places. To start focusing on the good in life and BEING the good in life. I want to get my hands dirty and put them to good use.

So the person I am acknowledging this week for inspiration is myself. Some quiet time just playing with watercolours in my sketchbook.

Until next week… happy painting!

Where do you seek creative inspiration?