Local Inspiration

I've been considering the topic of inspiration a lot recently and have mostly been thinking about how my surroundings affect what I create. When I think about my designing it seems at first to be something very separate from the rest of my life. It seems like a solid, unchanging thing. When I'm really down it sometimes feels like my designs are one thing I can control and this makes my life feel more manageable. But it's really not the case that my life and everything that goes on don't affect what I make.

For instance, lately I've been through a bit of a rough patch and even though I would like to say that my work hasn't suffered that isn't the case. After working on some of my own problems I suddenly feel this creative burst of energy. It's as if my emotional well being has poured over into my creative self. It really is wonderful.

This isn't just about my emotional surroundings though. My physical surroundings affect my work as well. I love the town I live in and I love my apartment. I really draw from those things that surround me to create. I live in the mountains, in a town where there are some older, medieval parts and some parts that are very art nouveau and still others that are completely new. So when I walk through these parts of town I want to create something that fits in with my surroundings.

I took a few photos of my walk yesterday to the grocery store and I thought about how they affect what I want to make.

 The autumn colours are just starting to make their appearance here in Bellegarde. And while they won't be quite as spectacular as the colours of fall in North America, the effect is the same. I want to move away from working with bright colours and embrace the more muted colours of fall.








These older homes make me think of smaller villages and simple styled clothing. Something to wear on a farm. Maybe a felted jacket. Something warm and traditional feeling.

 These next few views are of the small castle that is just up the hill. It feels really more like an outpost than a castle though at one point there was a series of noble families living here. Even though for many people castles conjure up more images of medieval inspired clothing, this castle makes me think of later soldiers uniforms. Beautiful jackets with epaulettes and gold trim. Or much more worn shirts and waistcoats of mercenaries.

I will say though that the little turret does make me imagine Rapunzel. 

Recently the Man and I attended a festival at the castle. There were a bunch of people in costume and I got to see all kinds of cool demonstrations like a blacksmith and the proper way to conduct warfare through the centuries. There were no knitters though (I will admit I was a little disappointed) so I didn't get to admire any historical fibre. But I really do want to make a military style jacket now.

When I look at the photos I take and the work that I am inspired to do I realize just how important my physical surroundings are in my designs. It really makes me wonder to what extent this is true for other people. No creative work exists in a vacuum of course but does where we live really dictate what we make? I'm starting to believe that it does.