Inspiration is a funny little thing. It has no clock and strikes whenever it chooses. What inspires one creative may be meaningless to another. Inspiration is a Special Something that is sometimes only significant to the person who picks it up. And when it comes, creatives must be ready to hoist it high, no matter how silly it might seem, and run to their creative supplies to make the inspiration matter.
Recently I had the opportunity to re-watch one of my all-time favorite movies: The Sandlot.
Now, I’m not much of an athlete (or a sports-enthusiast at all, for that matter.) I enjoy watching a game every once in a while, but it’s not a big hobby of mine. As art often imitates life, I’m unsurprised that sports don’t show up in my sketchbook very often either.
But as I watched The Sandlot, there was a thread of inspiration that I couldn’t stop picking at. I needed to sketch these silly little characters. It didn’t make sense. It DEFINITELY isn’t my go-to subject matter. But it was something I needed to do.
So, I grabbed my sketchbook and a colored pencil and brought Smalls to life on the page.
And I had an ABSOLUTE. BLAST.
From his silly little facial expression to his cuffed jeans to his sneakers, I had so much fun just following the inspiration wherever it would lead!
So, creative, my encouragement for you today is to pick at the inspirational threads. Don’t leave them alone. Follow the path wherever it leads, no matter how silly it seems.
And if you love silly sketches like this one, I have a whole book FULL of the antics of my own characters: Bits and Bobbles! These little guys are sure to leave you feeling COZY, CURIOUS, and CREATIVE. But I only have a few copies left, so snag yours for your bookshelf soon!
