I am a magazine addict. I think it's because, when the four units were young, I could actually START an article and ... TA DA!.... finish it. An incredible feat! I felt like superwoman!
The fact is, I like magazines so much that I have a hard time getting rid of them. All the little turned down pages hold nuggets of information or some sort of VISUAL FEAST that I can't part with. As fate would have it, I also abhor clutter. Magazines piled up around the house does NOT work for me.

Enter.... my inspiration journals. Every couple of months I go through all the piled up magazines and cut out EVERYTHING that catches my eye-- maybe a line of writing, a picture, a recipe, a page layout, a project, a well written article, color combinations, quotes, decorating ideas, book reviews, poems, etc.
The act of cutting and pasting is so soothing and grounding. I can do it for hours on end once I start. If I am feeling blue, it is a sure fire way to pull me back to my happy place. If I am burned out, it never fails to energize me. When my creative spark has left the building, this activity gets my wheels turning again and, unfailingly, I am inspired anew.

There is no ryhme or reason to these journals. I just cut things out and paste them where they fit. Sometimes I use the images to practice my drawing. Sometimes I use the color combonations to start my next quilt. Sometimes I re-read the articles and am reminded of what's important to me. Frequently I turn to them for dinner and dessert ideas. There are scribbles in the margins of some pages, ideas I want to try or notes about the day I was gluing items in, sometimes radom small sketches or doodles find their way to the pages, along with notes from {dear cowboy} or the units, and small drawings from the grandsons. Anything I can cut out and glue down is fair game.

These books have been invaluable as I return to school. Grid assignments? Split complimentary color examples? Font types and layout? Inspiration, examples and ideas abound.
Grab a few magazines, a blank journal, scissors and a glue stick and get started on your own inspiration journal!