Inspiration from the People We Care About

The people around us can be great inspiration for our artistic creations. Their mannerism and little quirks, their appearance and sense of style, the feelings they evoke in you, or even their favorite things can all be very inspiring. Jes from jessprkle.etsy.com sought inspiration from a friend and co-worker when making these earrings:

What inspired this piece?
"I work for a FACT program as a mental health professional. Our assistant team leader, and dual diagnosis specialist, had announced that she was putting in her two weeks notice. This was an individual to whom I looked for clinical guidance and supervision and valued both professionally and personally. She was interested in my jewelry from the first she heard that I made it, and had purchased several pieces from me. I knew I had to make her something as a going-away gift. Everything about her... her personality, her appearance, intellect... was the inspiration for this set of earrings."

Can you detail how you translated your inspiration into your work of art?
"I thought about the type of jewelry she seemed to like, the colors of her wardrobe, facial features, and eye color. I had previously made her a custom order of lapis lazuli cluster earrings, and she loved them. So, I went with cluster earrings. The color beads I chose go with her skin tone, eye color, and primary colors of her wardrobe. She was leaving in the spring, so adding the leaf to the bottom seemed to top it all off perfectly."

Where do you tend to find inspiration for your art pieces?
I find inspiration in my seven siblings, nature, the internal processes of humans, and emotions. I am most concerned with exploiting the pieces of what makes up our personalities as human beings. With every story of every person with whom I come into contact, there is inspiration to be tapped into.

Any advice for someone feeling uninspired?
Look at people around you. Recall a memory. Focus on the moment: how you're feeling right now. Spark up a conversation with someone. Trade smiles with a stranger. Every moment of your life can be transformed into anything you want it to be.

To see more of Jes' work, visit her etsy shop or her blog or myspace page.









So the next time you are feeling uninspired, take a good long look at the people you care about and be inspired to create something in their image!