From where do you get your inspiration ?

Quite often I'm asked this question.

It's a complex thing this. I think I was born a crafter, as long as I remember I have made things. I even can remember when I was three years old and saw some ladies crocheting and I stood in a distanse and practised the movement with my hand. One of the ladies said that it was important to practis in an early age. They probably had great fun, me standing there.

Another memory is how I used old schoolbooks (notebooks)filled with writing and filled all the loops with colour trying to make patterns. I really loved it if I could make a flower or a house or other things. Very exiting.
All these books are thrown away and that's really sad, I would have loved to have them today.

Another thing is that I don't allow myself "dull time" which means I always try to do something I like doing. If I'm in need of quietness I read or I walk in nearby woods, in the mountains or by the sea. Always trying to keep the spirit up.
My curiousity also help me moving on, whenever I see something new to me I wonder whether I can do it and I'll have to try and that leads to variety.

I strongly believe in variety because when one "thread" is close to empty I just follow another one. And when doing other things new ideas are coming to me. I've always been thinking of writing down my ideas so that I can go back and look for new things when needed but I never did. It seem new ideas are coming anyway.



(Sandra and I made these. Mine is called "watermusic" and Sandra called hers "space" I think they are quite inspiring. Sandra is 8 years old.) By the way, Sandra always asks me why I don't write Laila 53 years on my things. I'm laughing, what to say to that question? Well that's another issue.


But, what inspires me the most are colours. I have a lot of pens, watercolours, crayons and yarns. A glance at these things is what it takes to start the movement most of the time.

For many years I used to study all kinds of advertising stuff which came in my mailbox, just to learn about colours and my own reactions to them. Very interesting ting to do and I learned a lot about my own attractions towards colours. That's why I know that the colours are the main thing to inspire me.
And that's why I don't live in a "white house"(!) all my walls are coloured.
Every time I enter a "white minimalistic home" I don't feel the least inspired. That doesn't mean that those homes are not good or anything it's just that we are different as persons. I'm a colourful person!

That's what inspire me, what kind of stuff inspires you?

Have a nice day everyone!