Seeking inspiration

Seeking Inspiration

As well as history, there are many other places to draw inspiration from. It's about finding what appeals to you, and giving yourself the time and space to dig deeper.

Find your own 'go-to' sources of inspiration

Magazines are a brilliant way to discover new ideas, and if you become a subscriber, a dose of inspiration will hit your doormat every month. I subscribe to The World of Interiors because I particularly love how eclectic it is. It keeps me up to date with what's going on in the design world, and it also showcases all sorts of houses and styles from around the globe.

Also look at the work of artists. Favourites of mine that I always go back to are Ben Nicholson and Edward Bawden. Books are a great way to easily access their work, but visiting exhibitions and viewing the paintings in real life will enable you to experience them more meaningfully.

I implore you to discover your own 'go-to' sources of inspiration. Find a magazine where the style and content really interest you. Research artists who use techniques, textures or colours that you really enjoy looking at.

Diving a little deeper

It might be a little too technical for some, but when I was learning about how paint is produced, I found The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques, by Ralph Mayer, to be a fascinating source of inspiration.

Travelling

Books don't need to be full of images to inspire you creatively - words that explain the history of time-honoured practices, or detail the lives of interesting people, can also stir up ideas and musings.

Suggested reading

If you want to explore different magazines before committing to a subscription, Readly could be a great option. It's a subscription service that offers digital browsing of hundreds of magazines for a fee of £9.99 per month. Available as an app for your phone or tablet, it's a cost-effective way of browsing a few different titles before deciding which one appeals to you the most - and they often have free trial offers!

• The Colourist, Annie Sloan
• The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques, by Ralph Mayer
• African Designs from Traditional Sources, by Geoffrey Williams
• European Folk Art Designs, by Marty Noble
• Colour in Decoration, by Annie Sloan and Kate Gwynn
• Handbook of Renaissance Ornament, by Albert Fidelis Busch
• 376 Decorative Allover Patterns, by Charles Cahier and Arthur Martin
• The Painted Furniture Source Book, by Annie Sloan
• Ben Nicholson, by Jeremy Lewison
• Rice's Language of Buildings, by Matthew Rice
• Charleston: A Bloomsbury House and Garden, by Quentin Bell and Virginia Nicholson
• Annie Sloan's Room Recipes for Style & Colour, by Annie Sloan

Your assignment

Note down some magazines or artists you'd like to explore, or favourite countries you'd love to learn about, so you can begin to build your collection of 'go-to' sources.