One of my favourite art and design haunts is the V&A in London. In celebration of a few significant achievements over the previous couple of years, I treated myself to membership, and this year I’ve been enjoying some fabulous days soaking it all up.
Time out from regular studio life has been so helpful with my thinking and creative energy finding new horizons, so I decided to reflect on how it’s helped, and see if there are lasting habits I can carry forward to keep my head full up with blooming good ideas in the new seasons ahead.
Here’s what I found, and loved.
Inspiration | Be Nourished
There's nothing like stepping out of reality into a good exhibition for a couple of hours – hidden away with brilliant stories and biographies. It really boosts ideas for creative practice and process. I've climbed into the minds of designers and artists in some amazing exhibitions this year, and when you are in the hands of a brilliant curator you can expect to have your preconceptions massively challenged.
Whatever the subject matter, walking through a clever expert's journey from seed to bloom with their inventions has often been just the right encouragement to give my own idea seeds the precious nurture they may need, and have confidence that given time, amazing things will grow.
Reflection | Take time.
Away from the desk, trundling between cities, listening to podcasts, sitting in courtyards and cafés, unplugged and pouring out thoughts in a sketchbook, and retreating to dream a little over wine and olives while watching glamorous ones in the V&A members' room, simply taking time to notice responses to fresh input. This one is about stepping back and acknowledging that thoughts can't always be cranked out at the speed of sound and social feeds, and sometimes need time to germinate and blossom,
Insight | Learn.
Unless I can keep showing up with curiosity, I am in the wrong business.
It's easy to stay safe and within a comfort zone of prior knowledge, but shedding cynicism helps me stay open to new angles of view and wisdom of others hard won. And its those stories I want to soak in! To learn what provoked amazing responses from artists and designers and problem solvers through the ages, and let some of that rub off on me. I want to learn motivations behind the facts and figures, and be moved in my own work as a result.
The Frida Kahlo exhibition was amazing for this, so brilliantly curated as to bring us full frontal with the extreme physical and psychological pains that she overcame to impress her life and colour on the world.
With a desire to learn how to cultivate, observation can be a brilliant teacher.
Perspective | Sketch out new horizons.
One thing I really enjoyed this year was getting out to meet new people, to find out about their world and how that compares with my own. I wanted to connect with brilliant people and stretch my perception of what's possible. With the backdrop of these day trips and cultural soakings, the conversations have been rich and varied, and I have discovered new ways of understanding how what I do fits in to the bigger picture. There are opportunities out there I knew nothing about, because I braved picking up the phone and making a date.
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Back at base, buzzing with possibilities, I am really grateful to be in the business of ideas, and with the patience of a gardener, I feel happy about quiet winter moments to take stock and gather in ready for a lovely spring season ahead.