Why I Walk to Find Creative Inspiration
People sometimes ask me where my ideas come from.
They imagine I sit in my studio waiting for inspiration to strike, but the truth is rather different.
More often than not, my ideas begin with a walk.
Not a grand hike across mountains or along dramatic coastlines—just an ordinary walk, usually first thing in the morning, around familiar lanes and footpaths.
Even on mornings when staying indoors feels much more appealing…..
In fact, I've discovered that those are often the mornings when I notice the most.
When the world isn't trying so hard to impress us, we begin to pay attention to the quieter things: the delicate pattern of raindrops on a leaf, the lichen creeping across an old gatepost, the tiny feather caught in a hedge, or the unexpected flash of colour from a late wildflower.
As Georgia O'Keeffe observed,
"Nobody sees a flower, really... We haven't time, and to see takes time."
That quote has stayed with me for years because it perfectly sums up what I hope to encourage through my work.
Whether I'm sharing one of my Noticing Walks, encouraging people to fill a Five Minute Sketchbook, or creating my own artwork, the aim is always the same.
To slow down.
To look a little longer.
To see what is already there.
I've realised that creativity isn't something mysterious that appears out of nowhere. It's often the result of paying attention.
The more we notice, the more ideas we find.
And the wonderful thing is that you don't need to live somewhere spectacular. Some of my favourite discoveries have been made on roads I've walked hundreds of times before.
The world hasn't changed.
I've simply learned to look differently.
The writer Henry Miller once said,
"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."
I think that's exactly what a noticing walk offers.
It's not about covering miles or counting steps. It's about cultivating curiosity.
Every walk becomes an invitation to ask:
What haven't I noticed before?
Sometimes the answer becomes a painting.
Sometimes it becomes a sketch.
Sometimes it's simply a moment of quiet appreciation that stays with me for the rest of the day.
Either way, I always return feeling richer than when I left.
So next time the weather looks rather uninspiring, don't wait for sunshine.
Step outside and give yourself ten minutes to notice.
You may be surprised by how much beauty has been waiting for you all along.
