The Puzzle Pieces Are Around You: Find Them!

Art in general has always been my source of inspiration. Every time I visit a gallery a museum or a design store I get inspired. I believe it’s because art emanates an energy that keeps my brain working on the idea behind it. Different angles of the tangible world and things you see every day but never pay attention to are there to be appreciated. When I get home I immediately want to get my hands wet with some paint or start a new project.

I learned from artists and my experience as a designer that art and inspiration can be everywhere. Your eyes just need to be trained to identify it in our chaotic environment. We need to break through the noisy world we live in and find inspiration in simple things because they are usually the best insights.

When I was 12 years old I loved to read fashion magazines, not the ones with prêt-a-porter clothes, but the ones showing the runway. The concept behind the creations and the “whys” of the designer’s choices fascinated me. In fact, I kept asking myself if the stories about their inspiration came before or after the creation itself. The exaggerated looks built out of unconventional materials were my favorites!

Years later, in a fashion design program, I realized that the runway clothes are there to show the audience that brands are alive in terms of creativity. We don’t go to a fashion show to watch what we can see on the street, right? Actually, what you buy in stores is the runway concept adapted to the real life. All these knowledge inspired me to create clothes and accessories with strong creative concepts.

In conclusion, during the creation process my brain gets ready to convert a piece of art or any quotidian thing in valuable insight. I call this inspiration. It occurs sometimes when less expected, usually when I have an incubated idea, a solution I need to find to a specific problem. Then, I immediately think that the solution emerged just in that time, but it’s a mistake. It had always been there, but my eyes had never seen it. It’s the magic of creation! Every piece you need to your puzzle is already there; you just need to find it!

Amanda Von Lohrman