50 Simple Ways to
Inspire Your Heart
WITH ART
Where do you find inspiration? When your soul needs soothing, or you need a pick-me-up, what inspires you? When life gets hard or you are facing a specific challenge, where do you go to refuel and refresh?
One of the most reliable places I can find inspiration is in art.
I have a few go-to methods. Specific types of music and personal playlists, listening to the sound of the ocean, and reading inspirational words never fail to lift my spirits.
But there are so many more styles and flavors of art to explore! Art comes in so many forms, there is something out there to inspire everyone.
In honor of Inspire Your Heart with Art Day on January 31st, here are 50 SIMPLE ideas to get you started inspiring your own heart with art this year!
1. Create a playlist of inspiring songs.
2. Listen to an iconic piece of classical music.
3. Try a genre of music that is unfamiliar to you: jazz, folk, R&B.
4. Go forest bathing. Yes, nature is the original art!
5. Bring your camera on a walk around your neighborhood and take some close up photograps of the flora and fauna you find.
6. Learn to identify your local trees and foliage.
7. Visit a local park or garden alone and meditate on nature’s beauty.
8. Listen to a soundtrack of nature sounds: the ocean, birdsong, forest sounds.
9. Arrange a bouquet of storebought flowers.
10. Visit a local museum.
Artists are just children who refused to put down their crayons.
-Al Hirschfeld
11. Search for a work of art that speaks to you personally. Adopt it as your own signature inspiration.
12. Purchase a postcard or print of an artwork that inspires you to keep near your workspace.
13. Visit a famous museum virtually or in person.
14. Visit a work of art or architecture that your city is known for.
15. Take a walk around your city and appreciate the architecture of your region.
16. Take an art mural tour.
17. View the most influential photographs in history.
18. Explore the work of famous photographers.
19. Learn to take a great photo on your phone.
20. Watch a classic film.
I started painting as a hobby when I was little. I didn’t know I had any talent. I believe talent is just a pursued interest. Anybody can do what I do.
-Bob Ross
21. Watch a film outside your normal preferred genre: a musical, film noir, or a documentary.
22. Watch one of the most inspiring films of all time.
23. Book a ticket to see a performance at your local performing arts theater.
24. Watch a live streaming opera or ballet.
25. View a Broadway show online. (This option allows you to wear your pjs and have popcorn!)
26. Make a collage from magazine or paper scraps. Use a color theme, all red or blue objects or words, for example. Or choose images and words that inspire you personally.
27. Fold an origami crane. (Or a frog or a dragon!)
28. Create a rag garland out of fabric scraps. (This can also be made using a LED light strand!)
29. Try a simple stitching project.
30. Whip up a beginner’s embroidery project.
Every artist was first an amateur.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
31. Make a felt ornament. You will be ahead for Christmas next year!
32. Wreck a Journal.
33. Try a free drawing or painting class online.
34. Paint a Paint-by-Numbers picture. (They are more common than you think!)
35. Paint a few rocks. (Here is my Rock On! inspiration board.)
36. Color in a coloring book. An adult version OR a child’s! (No one said it had to be hard, y’all!)
37. Create sticker art. (I’ve always wanted to try this.)
38. Start an art journal. You can use the pages to explore painting, collaging, drawing, any medium that strikes your fancy!
39. Watch a free video of Mixed Media art techniques.
40. Decorate a cake or cookies.
If you hear a voice within you saying, ”You are not a painter,” then by all means paint… and that voice will be silenced.
-Vincent van Gogh
41. Learn how to create beautiful garnishes.
42. Take the time to create a beautiful charcuterie board.
43. Get inspired by a food artist.
44. Read a classic novel.
45. Read an inspirational book.
46. Explore the work of a famous poet.
47. Memorize a famous inspirational poem (or just one that speaks to you)!
48. Learn how to style an outfit.
49. Meet the top fashion designers of all time.
50. Learn about the 10 main “types” of art.
Now I can hear some of you poo-pooing..
and saying you aren’t creative or artistic. First of all, we ALL have a little spark of creativity within us.
Second, even if you don’t believe you are artistic, everyone can play with art supplies! And everyone can learn more about art. The secret is the more you spend time with art, the more creative you become. Creativity is like a muscle. You have to use it for it to develop.
Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
-Pablo Picasso
Regardless if you are a creator or an art appreciator, art can and should be a source of inspiration in your life. Let this quirky holiday be the push you need to explore some new avenues of art inspiration for yourself!
