How to Find Inspiration Anytime, Anywhere

Creative block? Let's do a fun exercise to loosen up and get your creative juices flow. Flex your creative muscles and nurture your creative intuition along the way.

I am an artist, graphic designer, and lecturer and today I am sharing my unique method. This method is an accumulation of years of international professional experience combined with my Japanese background. So you won’t find it anywhere.

How to do the Apple Excercise

Observe an ordinary apple and see how many colors, shapes, and connotations you can find. You will be surprised by how much inspiration you can draw from a single object.

If you don't have an apple, you can use any everyday object you can find around the house. Some of my students did a fantastic job by choosing a houseplant or even their cat!

What you need: The worksheet, an apple (or any everyday object or pet), and your favorite coloring pencils and/or pens.

The worksheet has the following 4 sections. Fill them in any order that feels fun for you.

1. Colours
Observe the apple carefully. How many colours can you find? Draw a circle for each color you find, aiming to have as many circles as possible.

2. Shapes
What kind of shapes can you identify? Draw as many patterns and shapes asd you can.

3. Emotional Values
List up all emotional values, connotations, and meetaphor you can think of. Consider references like the Bible, gravity, or a doctor, for example.

4. Anything else
Reflect on any additional associations or personal memories that the apple evokes. Perhaps you have a personal memory from your childhood?

The science behind this method

Neuroplasticity — The incredible brain's ability to change and adapt. By doing the Apple Exercise, where we explore the colours, shapes, and connotations associated with an ordinary object like an apple, we create new connections in our brain to stimulate our creativity. This exercise helps expand our perception and understanding of the world around us, allowing us to see beyond the surface and uncover new meanings and connections.

Experienced the world with your newly trained brain

If you can draw so much inspiration from just an ordinary apple, imagine what you can find in the outside world. Go out and witness how your perception of the world transforms with your newly gained creative muscles. Inspiration is everywhere and waiting to be uncovered by you.

Learn a secret of design you can carry for life

In my course "Graphic Design: The Art of Shape and Color", I will show you how to translate inspiration to your design in a practical, step-by-step manner. Prepare to be guided by your creative intuition and everyday inspiration. It’s a powerful skill you can carry for life.