Pinspiration! Getting the Most Imaginative Ideas from Pinterest

I don’t know about you, but Pinterest can be a pretty overwhelming corner of the internet. There’s just so much to see! Board upon board of celebrities, fashion, home décor, food, photos, cocktails, more food, more fashion... It’s equally a wonderland and a terror.

To take some of the swamping fear of missing something out of the equation, I suggest you create some specific boards (or even a whole account) devoted just to pins that inspire you. Any and everything CAN inspire, and that can get overwhelming too, so you need to use discernment. The nearly nude photo of your favorite celebrity can live forever in digital glory on your “Hotties” board, but odds are his or her picture does not give you an idea for a new paper design, wall hanging, or necklace. Your Pinterest account is a lot like an artist’s journal, where you can collect bits and pieces that help you to decide who you are as a creator.

As you scroll through all of the lovely pinned photos, pay attention to the things that make you hover, that you expand, that give you that zing of excitement. Ask yourself if your enthusiasm is of a consumer bent (Is it that you covet the French tatted lace duvet cover, or that it speaks to something deep in your design aesthetic?), or real inspiration? If the duvet cover makes you dream of Versailles-inspired chandeliers embossed on notecards, with a bit of gilt edging bringing out the 3-dimensional quality, then yes, the muse is in the building!

Create an “Inspirations” board and be bold! Pin all the things that speak to your creative side. Anything can be a jumping-off-point.

If you're looking for a great place to start finding inspiration, check out us out on Pinterest for ideas, card samples, tutorials and more!