what's your inspiration board style?

 

in the past few weeks,
i've shared some flowers that i've created with paper.
well, there's something else i've done with paper for many MANY years -
i make pinboards / bulletin boards / inspiration boards
and fill them with all kinds of paper detritus that i've collected
over several decades.

they serve as not only inspiration and a way to corral my 'vision',

but also as a decor element in my studio.

i recently re-read an old Houzz.com article about inspiration boards - 

and how the way you create yours reveals
if you are a left-brain creative or a right-brain creative!

Artists and Creatives know that we are right-brain people, for the most part.

but apparently, our left-brain compulsion for order can often over-ride

 the instincts that we associate with creativity (um... that it's messy!).

that was new info for me.
the houzz article has a LOT of visual inspo, too!

more on that in a bit...

first, see what reading that article inspired me to RE-do in my studio,

and learn how I make inspiration / bulletin boards using simple materials. 

continue reading for more...

three years ago, i found a fantastic vintage door at a local show,

for the express purpose of turning it into a giant inspiration / bulletin board...

on the left, how it came home from the show.

in the center, how i filled it in two years ago during my ROYGBIV stage.

on the right, my recent update to fit my sunny yellow obsession

(and i can't believe i never even thought to do that all last year!!!) 

let me show you my budget-friendly trick for making one of these:

i use poster board and cardboard boxes!

the process is simple - but specific:

1. staple the poster board onto the BACK side of the door,

covering the open 'window' spaces.

I pulled them tight and stapled them on the corners only.

then 2. staple the cardboard box onto the BACK side of the door,
over the poster board.
I stapled the cardboard all around the edges - about every six inches.

(the cardboard provides a thick surface to hold pushpins, pins, etc.
that the poster board is too thin to hold)

tips:

• use heavy-duty staples that are 1/4" (even better, 1/2") long

so they perforate the cardboard AND poster board to grab into the wood door.

I use an Arrow 5700 PowerShot Heavy Duty Staple Gun 

with Arrow T50 staples.

• cover poster board with gift wrapping paper for more color + pattern options.

I get both CHEAP at Dollar Tree stores!

• old window frames and mirror frames work well for this project, too!
[see one here]

the lower part of my door presents a challenge, 

because three of those squares have panes of glass still in them.

the rest of the glass was already gone when i bought the door,

and that's fine because it does make this project easier!
(I really should have removed the remaining glass panes 

BEFORE bringing it inside the house,
but I was too excited to just get to the project. par for the course!)

so before i stapled the yellow poster board on the bottom section,

i taped images torn from magazines TO the three glass panes.

(once the poster board was stapled on, i couldn't access those panes to add anything.)

the remaining spaces don't have glass, so i added everything later.

about that 'adding it later' part...
push pins, pins, clips, and even tape hold layer after layer of 'detritus'.
I just keep building and adding, each time i find something that fits my theme!

here's a closer look at it right now (tho i know i'll be adding more!):

some of the images, quotes, and cards seen here have been in my files for decades...

i save magazine tearsheets, tags, photos, and pages torn from books
and all kinds of stuff that inspires me, sparks my imagination, and makes me smile.

i also love adding dimensional items to my inspo boards!

some up-close detail shots:

that's my 2022 'words to live by' motto on the left.

the old keys on the right have been in my collection for 30 years!

they are paired with a hangtag from a favorite shop on Whidbey Island and a new sweater flower.

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the metal mail slot on this door!

it seemed fitting to stuff it full of yellow paint chip strips.

the white gift bag filled with my Pop Art Posies from last spring sits on the mullion trim.

many years ago, i created another bulletin board from an old door.

i used to change up the contents every season... here are two springtime versions:

 

[sadly these images from 2004 are lousy 

because I didn't save them at high resolution]

if you look closely at the yellow one on the left,

you'll see MANY of the same elements used in my current board!

so, is this theory about how our inspiration board style relates to us accurate?
let's find out!

read the post over on houzz,
then comment below to tell me if you are 

a left-brain creative with a well-ordered inspiration/mood board

or a right-brain creative with a cacophony of inspiration on your walls
(and if you've shared a pic of your inspiration / mood / vision board online, 
drop your link! i'd love to see them!)

me? i tend to fluctuate between the two!

they begin structured and ordered - left brain - 
 and then i layer on much, much more until it becomes chaos - right brain. 

(they don't cover that scenario in their definitions.... hmmmmnnn....

perhaps i am a left/right/central brained creative?!)

the REAL question is

how does this theory translate to Pinterest boards?!

i dunno'.... but i have a Pinterest board devoted to inspiration boards!

(and yes, i do realize the irony there...)


shared online:

creatively beth | creative crafts linky party #94

thank you for featuring my project, Miss Beth!

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