What inspires us?

I am awfully late with my BlogMerryGoRound this time, but here it is at last!

This time this is the question and theme:

"What inspires us?
- a peak into journals, pinboards, folders

or wherever we keep our little snippets of inspiring stuff... -

I have a bunch of notebooks where I write and draw down ideas, inspiring things and such that is good to save for later. Like quotes and words of wisdom that I like need to be saved so I can embroider them or write with ink and nib pen for example.

Then there's the books with different techniques, fabrics and patterns. I somehow always seem to prefer the things from times past, even thought a lot of the modern embroideries are quite fun and well done, I like the feeling of the old ones best.

Then there is of course always art. Having studied art history I have come across quite many different kinds, and know what an inspiration it is to look at details in paintings. You can find so many different embroideries, fabrics, jewellery and such both well done, and quite silly ones.
I don't mean just 'high art', there is such inspiration in illustrations of different kinds and once again old pattern books ( the one in the front is from the 1920ies that I found in a second hand shop.)

John William Waterhouse
"I am half-sick of shadows, said the lady of Shalott"
Magazines magazines, well I seem to get a few of those... Then again I keep all of them and look through many times later. I mostly pick out a heap that are from the same month or season and flicker through and make notes and such that I find. I then save it up until I later look through some of my notebooks in hunt for inspiration and make an idea into my own version of it.

A lot of things that inspire me can't be put in a book or drawer, for example
Things that grows:

This was a little peek into my notebooks and creative mess...

My drawer o' yarn!

Please do have a look to see what the others in the BlogMerryGoRound do to hunt for inspiration and how to keep it for later :)

Agathe, Le Bar du Vent
Andreanna, Glamasaurus
Charlotte, Fancy Picnic
Fabienne, Easterya
Lily, Lily Pang Art
Marian, Florcita
Nikki, Beaded Zen
Ruth, Birdland Creations
Sara, Sara's Texture Crafts
Wendren, Wren