I spend a lot of time looking for inspiration on my phone.
I can look at a hundred beautiful things before breakfast, enough inspiration to mentally begin fifteen creative projects before I’ve done anything with my hands besides move my thumb.
I love collecting inspiration this way. But I don’t want beautiful things to become something I only recognize after someone else has photographed, edited, and posted them.
I want to get better at spotting them for myself.
I think noticing is part of making. The things we pay attention to become the ideas, stories, colors, and textures we carry into our own work.
So I made us a scavenger hunt!
Use these items as a place to begin, then see what you can find in your own life. Take a picture, make a sketch, write it down, or simply stop long enough to look.
01. Something more beautiful with age
A sun-faded wooden door. An old brick building. A well-worn leather jacket. A loved one.
In a world of shiny and new, it’s easy to overlook the kind of beauty only time can create. This week, notice the textures, wrinkles, cracks, and faded edges that tell a richer story than perfection ever could.
02. Evidence that someone cared
If you look closely, the world is full of people quietly looking after one another.
Find the evidence in a free little library, a bowl of water left out for a neighborhood dog, or a positive message left behind. Kindness multiplies once you start looking for it. Why not add one more?
03. A scene that tells a story without words
Find a scene that makes you ask a question.
Who left these flowers? Who sat here? Where are they headed?
Think of it as a tiny movie still, paused halfway through the story. Let your imagination fill in the rest.
04. Something repaired instead of replaced
A patch. A stitch. A dab of glue.
There’s a message of hope bottled up in even the smallest repair. It represents a quiet decision to keep loving something instead of starting over.
This week, look for the things that have been given a second chance.
05. An object that would make the perfect paint color
Do you ever see a color and wish you could bottle it up and paint your walls that exact shade?
Color is never just color. It’s light, texture, shadow, and everything surrounding it. Keep an eye out for one so beautiful you wish you could take it home.
06. An imperfection that makes something more interesting
In art, perfection is often the quickest way to make something forgettable. The same goes for life.
Freckles on a face. A wobbly handmade bowl. A lopsided tomato. A dog’s floppy ear. A tree that grew around a fence.
Find the imperfection that gives something its personality.
07. Three shades of green
Nature has an infinite supply of green, but no two shades are exactly alike.
Creativity often begins with noticing nuance. This week, slow down enough to see the differences. Which greens feel warm? Which lean blue? Which almost don’t seem green at all?
08. A mailbox with personality
Mailboxes stand still, waiting for birthday cards, postcards, handwritten notes, and good news.
They sometimes wear flowers, paint, or years of rust. Some are playful. Some are proud. Some are wonderfully peculiar. Some seem to whisper, “Oh! You simply must meet my people.”
09. A tiny, delightful detail
Tiny details are like little thank-you’s for paying attention.
They’re easy to miss when you’re in a hurry, but once you start looking, they seem to appear everywhere. Let yourself linger long enough to find one.
10. A pattern nature designed
Here’s your permission slip to steal from nature.
She’s been solving creative problems for millions of years and doesn’t mind if you borrow a few ideas for your next project.
Notice the symmetry of a flower, the spiral of a fern, the texture of tree bark, or the spots on a mushroom.
11. An unexpectedly lovely color combination
Keep an eye out for a color combination that has no business looking that good and tuck it away for your next project.
Nature makes some audacious color choices. Consider it a reminder to be a little bolder with your own.
I hope this list pulls you back into your own life, where beautiful things are happening all the time without being photographed, edited, or explained. 🌞
With love,
Rachel
