blog it forward: what inspires me

Participating in blog it forward (BIF - 300 bloggers connecting to each other through posts from their own blogs) today...it's my turn to share with you what inspires me.

Much like defining success, narrowing my focus on what inspires me has been tough. I'm inspired by something different every day. Yesterday, for instance, I found myself inspired by fearless 3 - 10 year olds learning to ski for the first time ever. Their ability to learn quickly and effortlessly was amazing.

print by Hide 'n Seek

I am continually inspired by my family: my husband's daily fortitude, my youngest son's wit and compassion, my older son's wisdom and discipline. If I ever need to be inspired, I simply look to them.

I find a lot of inspiration in the kindness of others. It doesn’t take a disaster to see others reaching out to help one another. The biggest inspiration can come from the littlest gesture of kindness.

photo by She Watched the Sky

I always find inspiration in nature through colors, and clean lines; intricate patterns and organic forms.

photo by Kodilu

A visit to my local hardware store often inspires me to look at items for their simplicity in shape. Something we overlook everyday, like laundry detergent containers, can become beautiful pop art simply by grouping them together.

photo by Ned Lyttelton

I love reading modern architecture magazines like Dwell, Elle Decor and Metropolitan Home, and Sunset or gardening books. Fashion magazines and blogs inspire me through words and photos. Yesterday's BIF blogger who linked to me, A Diary of Lovely, is a great example of such a blog.

Beautiful photography inspires me, particularly modern abstract and macro.

photo by Tengtan

Everyday icons, the sounds of the city, and the urban landscape inspire me.

photo by me

The creative energy of others is also a huge inspiration. All I need to do is spend 5 minutes on Etsy, and I'm pumped to make something new.

You, my readers, are a great source of inspiration. You always have something wonderful to add and I know that I can always count on you to cheer me up, answer my questions, or simply "listen" to me.

Okay, I can go on forever. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Be sure to check out tomorrow's BIF blogger, Alexander Salvage, where you will get another great dose of inspiration!

Blog it forward mashup

One of the great things about blogging (and social media in general) is the sense of community it gives. There are so many creative people who continually come up with new and exciting ways to connect.

Victoria Smith, a.k.a. SFGirlbyBay, was recently thinking out loud on her Twitter stream. Her idea was to link a bunch of bloggers together (a mashup) to blog about a particular topic (similar to a chain letter but way cooler) She was overwhelmed with the response. She pulled together the first 300 bloggers who responded (leaving room for a future mashup) and the "Blog it Forward" mashup was born.

Topic: What inspires you

Duration: through March 24.

Today, Victoria (along with 10 other bloggers on their blogs) kicked off the mashup on her own beautiful blog, SFGirlbyBay. [BTW, the photos on her blog always inspire me. From her post you will be connected to another blogger post, and so on.

Here is the mashup schedule of participants and dates.

My post is scheduled to post on February 16, so stay tuned.

If you check out some of the blogs, please let me know which ones inspire you!

Thank you, Victoria, for putting this together.