Kauai Inspiration: Flowers, Pattern & Color

How do you turn your inspiration into something tangible? Of course, sometimes you don’t need to. Inspiration for the sake of it fuels our creativity whether or not there is a direct line to a piece of art or project for work. But, it’s also helpful to save inspiration to use as resources when you need them. When I travel, in addition to keeping a travel journal, I’m constantly snapping photos of beautiful colors and patterns. When I get home, I make image folders so I have references ready for a project. Whenever possible, working from your own images rather than images from a Google search is always preferable. It guarantees you’re starting point is wholly yours and original. So, what’s in my Kauai inspiration reference folder? Lots of flowers and natural patterns!

Kauai Inspiration

Flowers & Colors

I was blown away waking around Kauai and see all the colors. There are so many different types of flowers I never see at home in Providence, Rhode Island. Hibiscus is shrubbery there and seems to come in a full rainbow of colors. I think I spent the first few days stopping at every bloom I saw to snap a photo. I love both how vibrant the colors are, but also how Mother Nature mixes colors together. I love to use these are starting points to come up with custom color palettes. I ended up using this orange hibiscus (top row, second from the left) in a series of handwoven dishtowels when I got home.

Patterns

Do you attempt to organize your inspiration after a trip? What’s your system? Let us know in the comments, or tag us on Instagram.