People often ask me where I get my inspiration, and I always like to say: “Everything is—already—in my notebooks!”
I’m not that old, but I didn’t grow up with computers. Back then, if I wanted to remember something, I had to write it down. The huge anchor near the swimming pool, the leather watchstrap maker’s workshop, the smell of oil paintings in the basement—these little details found a home in my notebooks. Then came the sketches, the drawings. I jotted down every idea that popped into my head because I knew inspiration was fleeting—there one moment, gone the next. I’ve lost more ideas than I’d like to admit, but I’ve never stopped writing and sketching.
Whenever I travel, I always carry a notebook (a Moleskine, of course) in one pocket, my Nintendo DS or PSP in the other, and my Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot (a 3.2-megapixel camera with an autofocus lens and a real flash) within reach for quick shots.
Back home, I flip through old pages and sometimes find that I’ve drawn the same thing years apart. Counterproductive? Maybe. Like the time I sketched a chair recently, only to dig up a near-identical drawing from the mid-’90s. I know digital files are easier to organize and search, and at one point, I even tried a smartphone (a Qtek, no less). But one round-trip ticket later, I found myself back with my trusty pen and paper.
Over the years, I’ve filled hundreds of notebooks with fashion and furniture design sketches, detailed descriptions, interior design concepts, and architectural ideas, often paired with photos. And as geeky as it sounds (yes, I’m aware), I still prefer a pen over a keyboard or stylus. My notebooks may mysteriously disappear from time to time, but at least they don’t crash like my computer—or worse, leave me staring at a corrupted backup file. Murphy’s Law strikes again.
But this post isn’t just about proving I’m a normal girl (I gave up pretending I was bounty hunter Samus Aran when I was 13—mostly). It’s also a small hint about my book. I’ll be sharing some excerpts online soon.
Oh, and about that chair? That’s why I’m spending the next ten days in an ironwork atelier. Stay tuned. 😉
