I’ve always told people that my dream studio would involve a small desk space surrounded by those huge bulletin boards with wheels, that always adorned the front of your classrooms from elementary school on. There is something so interesting about having a space to collect all of the small things that bring you some sort of idea or revelation when it comes to expressing yourself. I’m that person who collects leaves when I go for walks, takes pictures of almost everything, and saves every beautiful image and collection of words that Pinterest will allow me. There is a certain type of beauty when all of the things that inspire you are right in front of you, all in the same place.

I think it’s important to surround yourself with the things that make you happy, sad, nostalgic, and even like an excited kid again. The references we collect reflect who we are and how we have evolved. Another form of reference collecting that I enjoy would be covering both covers on each of my sketchbooks in stickers. It’s really cool to see how each of them play off of each other and off of the things I put inside each book. There is a connection between the two. That connection shows who I was at the time of utilizing it’s pages to get out the thoughts and images in my head, as well as the stories written on it’s covers. How we find our inspiration and decide to organize it is an art in itself. I think you should take this time to think about how you acquire information when it comes to your creativity. Do you fill up bulletin boards with words and images, maybe you doodle on napkins or any surface near by, maybe you even fill books with everything from magazine clippings to 3d items? Whatever the way, it is something to be considered; how each and every one of us holds our expression near and dear to us, collecting and using the things that bring that spark back to our souls.