inspiration

it's a wet day, a miserable day. full of cold, claustrophobic damp, the type of day that northern european countries, but especially scotland, seem to specialise in at this time of year. what better way to get round it than to stay in, get the paint out, do some work.

i pre-empted today by having a good visit to the library yesterday. as usual around national poetry day, they've made a fuss about it, bought some new books, laid out all the poetry day postcards. i spent a bit of time last night bemoaning that these weren't as good as previous years but then i gave myself pause and thought, well they may not be what i like, but at least they're there. not unlike the poetry library, which has given me much cause to girn over the years. but in the girning it's easy to forget all the time i've spent at peace there, wrapped up in my own thoughts

so on that positive note, i thought i'd give special mention to the places that've been inspiring me lately. there are many, of course, but these are the ones that are currently catching my eye

Feltbug - i say currently, but looking at feltbug's site has been something of a daily ritual for a long time. it is a treasure trove, particularly the masterful mosaic monday posts. the day i can't get ideas from here will be the day i have truly lost hope

pintame al dia - esti's blog is both personal and hauntingly beautiful, filled with drawings that look as if they should've stepped out of an au revoir simone video. i'm particularly taken with the hand project which, for me, is without equivalent, anywhere else

one nights stanzas - i love the unrelenting upbeat nature of claire's blog. i find it the perfect antidote to any occasional grumpiness i may suffer from! quite how she manages it so young, at an age where i was concerned only with how many intoxicants i could shove down my face, is brilliant. she makes me want to do stuff and for that alone has surely paid for the coffee i will certainly buy her whenever i catch up in edinburgh