Gathering Inspiration

I’m a collector of many things: fortune cookie fortunes, key chains, seashells, 25 cent bouncy balls, but most of all inspiration. Inspiration is everywhere. You can find it in a book or online, walking outside or sitting at your desk, but my favorite source of inspiration is my own life experiences.

I am a memory keeper. Over the years, I’ve learned to pause and observe the world around me. In many ways, it’s a gratitude practice. I take time to document my everyday life and capture the beauty in ordinary things, because it keeps me grounded. Each new collection I create starts with a memory. It may be a place, a feeling, or even a person.

My first collection, Winding Roads, captures a day’s journey through the countryside in Central Virginia. In the passenger seat of a ‘98 Peterbilt, I snapped photos of rolling hills and valleys, horses grazing behind wooden fences, and wildflowers swaying in the summer breeze. From sunup to sundown, I took note of golden fields and green pastures, backroads, highways, and byways where one small town lead into the next within a couple miles. It’s a gift to relive these moments again and again.

Even though inspiration is all around, you must be open to it. It’s like a seed. It can be planted in dry ground or rich soil. If the former, you must dig it up. Be present. Tend to it and nurture it. Then, watch it grow.

What seeds of inspiration are you collecting today? Let me know in the comments below.