The Most Creative Art Inspiration You’ll Find This Month

It is no big secret. I find my most creative art inspiration in nature, in my favourite music and in combining both to delve deeper inside. In that order.

I struggled with perfectionism for a long time believing strongly in perfecting everything I did. And no matter how hard I tried, it was never perfect until I understood the meaning of abstract art.

That moment had and continues to have a profound impact on my art and, most importantly, on the way I appreciate the meaning of beauty beyond aesthetic appearance.

It took me a long time to discover my art inspiration after realising that perfection was just a product of my imagination. I learned to see beauty in imperfection. It was always there right in front of me all the time without actually appreciating its magnificent beauty.

In this article, I will explain more about my main three art inspirations as I mentioned above and I will add a few more art inspiration ideas.

Art inspiration is not necessarily for artists only or for creating art. Art inspiration is for everyone. We are surrounded by art all of the time, even though some of us may not realise it.

Just look around you and I’m sure you will find a lot of art inspiration. For example, music, movies, TV, magazines, books, etc. All these and much more art inspirations allow us to find our individual inspirations.

Let’s find out more about a few simple art inspirations. As you read through this article, all you need is an open mind.

What is art inspiration?

Art inspiration is a type of creative energy as a reaction to something we see, hear or feel. I’m sure we all come across such energy regularly. Sometimes it could be just brief moments.

Some of us can harness such creative inspiring energy and use it to make something or improve a situation. However, many of us are way too busy to realise such an opportunity.

You see a beautiful painting or a photo and you probably feel inspired. You read an interesting book and you realise how much you are enjoying its creative inspiration. Music has a great impact on creativity, motivation and inspiration.

Whenever anybody mentions the word ‘inspiration’, I cannot help but think about art and creativity. I even asked some of my friends what comes to mind when they hear the word ‘inspiration’. It was no surprise that the vast majority said exactly the same thing, art and creativity. By the way, most of my friends are not artists.

There is, obviously, a link between inspiration and art and creativity. So, what is that link?

It should not be a surprise when you realise that art allows us a vast amount of freedom. Freedom of expression without restrictions. This is particularly true with abstract art.

Abstract art does not represent or attempt to re-create a real object in life. It is entirely created with the artist’s skilful imagination and knowledge of the elements, the principles and the composition in abstract art.

Intuitive art also plays a huge and important part in the abstract art world. That’s another subject for another day.

Inspiration in art is triggered by freeing your mind from any rules. The best inspirations are usually found when you are not restricted by rules. When you break free from conventional thinking and begin your journey into creative thinking.

Artistic inspiration is something you cannot touch but you can feel it when it happens.

How do you get inspiration for art?

There are many ways to find art inspiration and I think close ‘observation’ is key. Observe the things you are interested in. We all have our own individual interests in life. Pay close attention to what you like and why you like it.

Interest in something is the very first step in finding art inspiration and creative ideas. But you cannot just sit around thinking that art inspiration will come to you.

I strongly think the next step in finding inspiration for art is to be motivated enough to look for it. It is important to have the intention to find artistic inspiration.

When we think of art inspiration and creativity, we often try hard to find something original. Similar to perfection, originality does not exist and there is no such thing as original ideas.

Everything we make, create or invent is the result of inspiration.

Inspiration comes from observing our world, life experiences, the knowledge we gain and the interactions with other people.

We use existing ideas and improve and develop them to make something new. That does not necessarily mean an original idea. It is a new idea because you put your own twist and your own interpretation that makes it personal and authentic.

Another common practice artists and creatives are known to do regularly, they are always curious about things they come across in their lives. They see things from a different perspective because they know that new knowledge and discoveries may bring inspiration opportunities.

“No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.” Oscar Wilde.

There are many sources of art inspiration. I will list some of the ways that help me to find inspiration for art in the next section. The first three sources probably play the biggest impact.

What are some sources of inspiration in art?

I do not think I can list and explain all the various sources of art inspiration. Frankly, I do not know how many possible sources are there of art inspiration.

I could only mention the ones that I feel inspire my creativity, painting ideas and creative ideas. Here are some of my artistic inspirations ways and would be interested to know what inspires you to make your art or inspires you in any other activities.

Art Inspired by Nature

It is a well-known fact that the first paintings made by humans were about animals (Cave Paintings) over 40,000 years ago. (Cave Paintings are one of my favourite subjects in art which support explaining the meaning of art as ‘self-expression’).

These paintings show the strong connection we have with Mother Nature.

I discovered the beauty of imperfection in nature. It was a complete transformation of my interpretation and appreciation of the meaning of beauty. Nature, in my opinion, creates perfection in imperfection. Only nature creates the ultimate balance and harmony. Humans cannot, we are not perfect.

Observing closely how nature creates the incredible formation of, for example, tree branches, leaves, undergrowth, clouds and natural colours helped me to see the beauty in abstract art.

Nature creates the most wonderful colours, shapes, lines, forms, etc. These are some of the basic elements of art. Notice how nature combines these elements to create stunning art compositions. We always learn from nature.

To the untrained eye, Nature may appear disorganised, cluttered and chaotic. But looks can be deceiving. Because within what seems like pandemonium lies something far more amazing – a harmonious, perfectly balanced chaos brimming with beauty.

It is this fascinating, paradoxical splendour that has inspired me to adopt an abstract art chaos style. On the surface, my paintings may resemble the random splatters and drippings of a madman’s brush.

Yet for those willing to look deeper, there emerges an innate order, a sublime synchronicity that mirrors the organised chaos found throughout the natural world.

Throughout history, many famous artists have been inspired by nature. Here is a list of some of the most famous artists who drew their inspiration from nature and created some of the most famous paintings.

• Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986): an American impressionist artist who specialised in painting enlarged flowers. She made over 200 flower paintings. O’Keeffe painted her first large-format flower, Petunia No. 2, in 1924.
• Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890): a post-impressionist artist who became one of the most influential artists in Western art history. He created over 2100 paintings mainly portraits, self-portraits, still life and landscapes. Starry Night is probably one of his most famous paintings. Van Gogh painted it in 1889 and has an amazing story of how and why he made that painting.
• Claude Monet (1840-1926): He was one of the founders of the French Impressionist movement. Monet was well-known for landscape painting and painting the same scene several times to show the changes in different seasons.

This is only a brief list and there are many more artists who created some of the most amazing artworks inspired by nature.

We all know how amazing nature is and it is full of powerful inspirations. Nature provides us with an endless abundance of inspiration, but you have to go out and get it.

A simple walk in the park, the seaside or the countryside can easily show you the amazing natural beauty. From panoramic landscapes, wildlife and seascapes to the remarkable shades, lights and textures that can only be found in nature.

That’s where I get my most art inspiration from.

Take your time to enjoy nature’s colours, organic formation of shapes and forms, sounds and smells, textures and above all else see how everything is in complete harmony.

Nature tells us to just slow down, unwind and take it easy. Being in nature is one of the best and simplest ways to get rid of stress and anxiety.

Nature inspires us to create art and we appreciate creating art in nature. This is where our fascination and care for nature created several art movements to highlight the importance of nature in our lives now and forever.

• The British Museum, Nature in Art, which opened in 1988, is entirely devoted to artwork inspired by nature. It is the first museum in the world dedicated to art inspired by nature.
• The Sustainable Art movement‘s aim is to highlight the importance of how we use our natural resources. It aims to make us rethink the impact of our lifestyle on natural resources.
• Artists for Conservation is another example of the world’s leading artists supporting the importance of environment conservation.

These are just a few examples of how deep is our connection with nature. We are part of Her and She is part of us. Mother Nature always provides, and it is time that we all respect and appreciate how wonderful nature is.

We must all ensure to help contribute to nature’s well-being. It is our well-being.

Art Inspired by Music

There is no doubt that music has a profound influence on our moods. Depending on the type of music you choose, music can make us feel happy, sad, calm, passionate, motivated and inspired.

Over the years, I noticed how music affected and played a major part in my art inspiration. I made a playlist of my favourite songs and music, which comes to around eight and a half hours long.

I put my earphones in and play my art music every time I paint. I know now that my mind is conditioned to link that particular music to my abstract painting practices and my studio.

Even if I hear some of the songs without being in my studio, my mind immediately switches to abstract painting.

My favourite music has been and continues to be absolutely and tremendously instrumental in creating great artistic inspiration. I now cannot paint without my music.

I am not the only artist who finds art inspiration in music. Many other artists use music to help them create their art.

This is different from ‘Synaesthesia’ and I have written about it in this post, The Joy of Painting With Music. I don’t paint music, I paint with music.

There is another important role to play music while painting.

Using my earphones and playing my favourite music is an effective way to eliminate unwanted distractions.

In this way, I am surrounded by a complete artistic environment, both visually and auditory. I could not ask for anything more to create my artistic inspirational environment.

My studio is full of inspirational artwork, inspirational art paintings, motivational art, acrylic paintings inspiration, oil paintings inspiration and several large inspirational wall art.

To me, stepping into my art studio is like stepping into another dimension in the art world. I love it.

Such a practice helps me not only to create abstract paintings but also to find a great way to paint feelings, if at all possible! Amazing way to link your art to music to paint your feelings!

Connecting with your inner self

This is by far the most critical phase in the entire creative process. It is also the most challenging and difficult to find. Your inner self knows more about you than anyone or anything else in the world.

Connecting with your inner self is so powerful as it empowers you to clearly find out who you truly are. It allows you to identify your true values and live a more harmonious fulfilling life.

If you successfully manage to connect with your true inner self, you will not need anything else in life.

Connecting with your inner self is primarily about your ability to be self-aware of your own values, vision, beliefs and motivation in life. It is about who you really are!

It is such a deep and complex topic.  I will touch on it in this article from the artistic point of view only.

All the time I try to use, consciously, my art inspirations by nature and music to connect with my inner self. I have not always been successful, but on many occasions, I know all three elements work in absolute harmony and balance.

This is the time when I realise I am in direct contact with my creative inspiration. I actually work on it and wait for it to happen. I know when it happens and when, all of a sudden, everything in creating my abstract painting comes together.

Every element, every brushstroke, every colour, every shape and line begin to communicate and connect well with each other and with me.

All of a sudden, the journey of abstract painting becomes so harmonious that I do not want it to stop.

This is the magical moment when you are in complete harmony in your painting journey, where time has no meaning at all. You are transported into another dimension beyond description.

These are some of the most precious moments in creating my abstract. I have no control over it or when, where, how and why it happens. No matter how much I try.

So I learned not to push myself but to keep an open mind that it will come. And it does. It may take several hours, weeks or even months, but somehow it happens.

I do not have a concrete answer, but I am almost certain it is a combination of several elements. I am sure inspirations from nature and my music play a key role in connecting with my inner self, somehow.

Over the years, this practice helped me tremendously to build self-confidence in initiating and fully completing a meaningful abstract painting, well at least to me!

Inspiration from reading and writing

When I am not painting abstracts I am usually reading or writing about art, particularly abstract art. I enjoy writing my blog posts as it helps me to learn more and stay up to date with my art practices.

Before writing, I spend a great deal of time researching, reading and analysing the topics of my blog posts.

Some of my favourite reading subjects include colours and their potential impact on our moods. I also read a lot about other artists. For example, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) who I believe is probably the greatest artist in the world.

It is beyond imagination to learn that he spent weeks and months making his paints!

His masterpiece painting, the Mona Lisa (1503-1506), is still the most valuable single piece of art in the world. And his painting, Salvator Mundi (c. 1500), is the most expensive in the world. It was sold for $450m in 2017.

Cave Paintings are another favourite subject that I read a lot about. I cannot help but think about why our ancient ancestors made those amazing paintings. It must be something to do with self-expression and the instinct to share life experiences.

It is absolutely mesmerising just to think how did they manage to invent drawing and colouring tools. Why did they want colours? Let’s remind ourselves that some of these paintings go back some 40,000 years ago.

There are many benefits of reading. It helps you to relax, reduces daily stress, improves memory and concentration, etc.

However, in the context of the subject of this article, art inspiration, I will add the following benefits. Reading enhances your creativity and imagination as well as increases your knowledge of the subject(s) of your interest.

Reading is probably the main source of good writing. Writing is not an easy process and many people struggle to write and find inspiration.

Writing is a skill. It needs regular practice and development, like any other skill. I wrote several long-ish blog posts for my website. The longest post I wrote is about 7,700 words, 20 Basic Art Questions and Answers.

That was not easy and it took me a long time to finish it. In the beginning, I felt I was struggling to write the article. But as I continued to write and edit the article, I started to realise that I was actually enjoying the whole process.

Enjoying doing anything is always the key to improvement and progress. This is the direct result of seeking and finding your inspiration. Inspiration does not come to you, you have to find it.

Inspiration from other artists’ work

The more reading and writing you do about your subjects of interest, the more inspiration you will find.

Through my readings and writings about art and artists, naturally, I come across other artists’ work. This is the time when I sit back and just admire some of the most fascinating artworks made by other artists.

Museums and art galleries are great sources of art inspiration. There are several books and publications about art. The internet is also full of images of great artworks.

However, looking at images on your phone or computer screens may not give you the real feeling of physically seeing the actual artwork, for example in a museum. You would be able to see the brushstrokes, the textures and the artwork’s physical size.

Inspiration from other artists’ work or even your own, needs you to slow down and take your time to look at the artwork. The Slow Look (the Slow Art Movement)!

This is the time when you let go of every thought process. Instead, engage your feelings, emotions and imagination. Live the moments within the artwork without any preconceptions.

I enjoy the time to look at paintings of others, even though they may not be famous paintings. I also find great enjoyment in looking at paintings made by beginner artists. Every painting has a story. The challenge is to make your own interpretation.

Some of the basic elements of art are shapes, lines, textures and most importantly colours. Colours have such amazing energy and could easily trigger art inspiration on their own.

Making or viewing art stimulates our brains and is known to free our minds. Looking at artwork engages our emotions and feelings as it is not about making sense of the lines and shapes. Rather, it is about evoking feelings and triggering emotional responses.

When I think about looking deeper than what’s on the surface of a painting, somehow I always remember The Treachery of Images (1929) painting by Rene Magritte. It is also known as ‘This is Not a Pipe’.

The painting received a lot of negative criticism from the audiences at that time. Magritte responded by saying:

“The famous pipe. How people reproached me for it! And yet, could you stuff my pipe? No, it’s just a representation, is it not? So if I had my picture ‘This is a pipe,’ I’d have been lying!”

My point in referencing this painting is that you make your own interpretation of the artwork you are looking at, rather than what is exactly the artwork. Great inspiration!

Networking with other artists and creatives

Art communities play important roles in networking, connecting with other people, exchanging views and participating in discussions.

Networking can be fun but it can be a challenge for some. Many artists are not so keen on networking events. I like some networking events, particularly when there are opportunities to meet other artists and creatives.

Artists and creatives tend to be highly motivated to do creative things (obviously). Interacting with other artists is a great way to gain more creative inspiration for your own work.

Exchanging views and discussing creative ideas and suggestions can help overcome ‘artist’s block’. These encounters with other artists could help you to enhance your creative vision or learn something new.

Many events encourage opportunities to share and discuss views about different types of artwork. The purpose of these events is not necessarily to sell. And that makes it a lot easier to participate.

The idea of going to art networking events is to be surrounded by creativity and like-minded people. One of the reasons I enjoy going to museums and galleries is to meet like-minded people.

I am not selling them anything and they are not selling me anything, either. We visit museums mainly to enjoy the artworks on display.

We learn a lot from the experiences of others.

Life experiences and everyday life

You can find a lot of art inspiration from your everyday life and your experiences in life. It is a fantastic way to establish a connection with yourself and dive deeper into your life experiences. This is a great practice to trigger your artistic inspiration depicted from past stories, events, situations or people you met.

Our fast-paced busy lifestyle and routines do not easily allow us much space for creativity. We seem to be constantly rushing to do almost anything and everything.

Creative inspiration needs you to slow down and begin to notice and appreciate the small wonders we all ignore every day. Because we are too busy. We miss noticing a beautiful sunrise or the aromatic smell of fresh coffee.

To be creative and to find your art inspiration, you need first to change your routine thinking. You need to slow down and begin to appreciate the inspirations that surround you, from colours, textures, smell or taste.

You are a unique individual and your life is unique. Every life experience is full of ups and downs. For a change, let’s concentrate on the ups rather than the downs.

Margot Hallac made a beautiful video about art inspiration, Finding Art Inspiration (5 Tips for Creativity). Margot explains art inspiration in a nice, easy and interesting style. I’m sure you will enjoy Margot’s video. I certainly have.

Art inspiration from travelling

With the kind of busy lifestyle most of us live, we strive to travel away on holiday each year. Not only to enjoy the sun, sea and white beaches, but it breaks our routine life and routine thinking.

Travelling has a huge impact on our motivation and inspiration. It reminds us to focus on what really matters most, ourselves. That’s one of the main reasons we all find travelling, particularly on holidays, to be interesting and exciting.

Travelling is very stimulating. It is an adventure. You visit new places and different cultures. You meet new people and experience other traditions.

You may learn and appreciate similarities and differences between your home and your travel destination. Travelling is a great opportunity for self-development.

It is probably one of the best ways to de-stress and switch off. You just let go. Your mind becomes positively charged full of inspiration and motivation. It enhances your creativity. Why? Because your entire focus is on You.

Such experience is similar to the process of finding art inspiration or any inspiration. I will highlight the process in simple terms:

              #1:         Slow down and change your thinking routine.

              #2:         Focus your mind on what really matters to you.

              #3:         Allow yourself time to enjoy and recharge your positive energy.

We all apply a similar process when we begin to think about booking our next holiday. Could we apply the same to find our next art inspiration?

Favourite art inspiration quotes

We all need some sort of inspiration from time to time in our lives. I know I need quite a bit of art inspiration most of the time. It helps me to get in the right mind frame to create my abstract art.

And here are some of my favourite art inspirational quotes:

There are many more great inspirational and motivational quotes. They are not necessarily for artists only. Sometimes we need to find something to remind us that we are not alone. There is always hope for a better day.

Final thoughts about art inspiration

Ethan Hawke’s video, Give Yourself Permission To Be Creative, provides an interesting and powerful explanation of the importance of individual creativity. A great inspiration for artists and non-artists.

Some questions that I keep asking myself:

• Where does art inspiration come from?
• Where does creativity come from?
• Is it something that we can control?
• Can we consciously generate inspiration?

I’m sure there are many answers to these questions. The last question is particularly interesting. I think creative inspiration, in a way, is uncontrollable and unconscious.

It could come to you as a direct result of seeking it. You need to put the effort into making it and finding your art inspiration.

We can take the time to adjust our thoughts and emotions to think creatively by simply surrounding ourselves with things that help us to feel creative. It could be anything we associate with creative thinking.

Many great artists surrounded themselves with things that inspired them and helped them to explore different ideas.

Inspirational wall art is found in many places including workplaces, hospitals, the hospitality sector and several other public places.

These are some of the ways that could help us to find our art inspiration. I am sure there are many other ways. So feel free to add your thoughts and comments about your ways of finding your art inspiration.