ON INSPIRATION: Visual Inspiration IRL

I always want to feel inspired.  Every day, if possible.  I love the feeling, it makes me feel connected to the unknown and it fuels my creativity.  So I'm going to try writing about inspiration, to see if I could write something that might inspire you.  Worth a shot!

One thing I realized this morning:

 I don't go online to get inspired.  

I rarely feel inspired when I'm online.  It just doesn't work that way for me.  I go online to get work done and to do business, but being behind a computer sort of shuts down my sensors. 

For inspiration to come, I need a dreamy, unfocused mind, deep breathing, room to wander and to receive.  I get visual inspiration from beautiful objects I see when I'm far from a computer. Traveling fills me with inspiration, without fail.

Hammock time at El Cosmico in Marfa, TX

Hammock time at El Cosmico in Marfa, TX

Drawing in the sand in Santa Monica, CA

Drawing in the sand in Santa Monica, CA

Weird bathroom lighting at Jo's Coffee on South Congress in Austin, TX

Weird bathroom lighting at Jo's Coffee on South Congress in Austin, TX

An artist's studio in Marfa, TX

An artist's studio in Marfa, TX

What about you - do you get visual inspiration online? Offline?  Where do you see it?

 

THRIFT SCORE

Last week I was walking past my local charity thrift shop & decided to stop in.  This shop doesn't have a large selection of clothing, and I rarely find much that I like there.  So I didn't get my hopes up.

And then a print caught my eye.  

  • Adorable hearts.  
  • Nice colors.
  • Right size.
  • Perfect condition.  
  • Silk!  
  • SIX BUCKS. 

SOLD.

Turns out this Equipment silk blouse originally retailed for $255.

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This is one of the best deals I've ever gotten while thrifting.  I'd like to thank the generous thrift gods as well as the rich person who donated such a cute shirt.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Vintage Sewing Patterns For Sale

I'm such a huge fan of the construction of vintage clothing.  Over the years I've amassed quite a collection of vintage sewing patterns.

I've finally admitted to myself that there are a bunch of patterns I will never use, so I'm reluctantly parting with them.

I'm hoping to pass these patterns along to some lucky seamstresses that will use them.  

Visit the Featherweight Etsy shop to shop my vintage sewing patterns.

MUSIC MONDAY: Rahsaan Roland Kirk

I love an original.

Here are just 3 of the reasons why I love American jazz multi-instrumentalist RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK:

  1. He played tenor sax, flute & instruments of his own invention - ALL AT ONCE.
  2. He renamed himself Rahsaan after hearing the name in a dream.
  3. He was born with sight, but went blind at age two as a result of poor medical treatment.  Despite this hardship, he became an inventive, open-minded, uniquely creative artist with a positive spirit.

"The Inflated Tear" was the first RRK song I ever heard and it blew me away. It made such a huge impression on me that I can still picture exactly where I was when I first heard it.

Here he is performing it live in Prague in 1967.