all images via Taylor Adams

Guest Post by Taylor Adams

Creativity isn’t a switch you can just turn on - often you have to work for it, cultivate it, and protect it from information overload. We consume so much information on a day-to-day basis. Scrolling screens, popping ads, flickering channels, it can be overwhelming. With so much information coming and going, lately I’ve begun to feel more conscious of the content that I choose to absorb.

What we consume has power to shape and influence our mind - so shouldn’t we be feeding it some good stuff? Some creative vegetables that provide insight and inspiration, inform and encourage, and explore compelling ideas. While I do enjoy a glass of wine and an episode of The Bachelor, I also feel the need to find resources that will contribute to my studio practice and mindset, and keep the tank fueled.

I wanted to share a few of my favorite resources…

I’ve recently become a podcast fanatic. Whether I’m driving long distances or gessoing panels in my studio, I love having a good podcast playing. Upon listening to Episode 1, I was immediately hooked on Clever, a podcast about design and the talented figures behind it. Designer Amy Devers and Design Milk’s Jaime Derringer host candid and revealing conversations about design and it’s connections to the world around us. Featuring a fascinating array of creatives, each episode dives into honest and compelling accounts of struggles and successes, insight into individual creative processes, and the mark they hope to leave on the world through making. 

Reading has been an outlet that I’ve always loved - there’s something holding a physical book and turning pages that a screen could never replace. A friend of mine gifted me a book from a series called “Cultivate: The Process of Living from Your Heart.” The series is by a collective of visual artists, songwriters, and musicians sharing their different forms of expression. I was given Volume IV, “Creativity Unlocked” and I have found so much inspiration within its pages. The issue is beautifully composed with artwork, photography, and expressive writing that unlocks ideas behind creativity and how we can utilize it in our day-to-day lives. 

Abstract: The Art of Design is a Netflix documentary series that I recently stumbled upon. The series explores the minds of innovative designers, ranging in discipline from footwear to architecture. I found the series fascinating. As an artist it’s so interesting to gain insight into how the mind of another creative works and problem solves, especially one that is in a field that very different from my own. I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a series to binge that you don’t want to feel guilty about. 

Lucky for creatives, there's so many fascinating minds in this world - creating beauty and innovation in our day-to-day lives, and documenting their ideas to share and empower others. I’m trying to spend more time with the content that truly feeds me so I can keep learning and growing as an artist, in hopes to contribute in the same way.

More about Taylor:

Taylor Adams is a Florida based artist exploring the world of abstraction with thread and ink in hand. Fueled by a love of the outdoors, she is largely inspired by beauty found in nature. See more of Taylor’s work at tayloradamsart.com and follow along on Instagram/Twitter @tayloradamsart to get a closer look at her process, current work, and daily explorations.