Inspiration is everywhere my friend. You may not think it, but you can gain inspiration from pretty much anywhere, anyone and anything!

And, you’ve probably already guessed where this is going, but you need to be inspired by something in order to create your own embroidery designs. They don’t just come out of thin air, you know!

At least not most of the time!

As an experienced embroiderer with 3 years under her belt, I’m going to share with you my personal journey of inspiration, and what inspires me when I sit down to create.

Immersing myself in nature

If you’ve seen my embroidery designs, you’ve probably guessed that nature is one of my biggest inspirations. With the flowers, botanicals, insects and leaves, it’s no surprise that it’s my go-to when I’m needing to feel a bit inspired.

Nature is a very broad spectrum – there’s lots of finite details, both subtle and vibrant colours and a tonne of inspiration that can be found.

As you may or may not know, I have a Copper Cocker Spaniel called Archie, so taking a countryside walk is a pretty common thing for us, and every time we are out and about I’m always taking in the surroundings, taking photographs and mentally brainstorming ideas.

Not to mention, the peaceful walk and the fresh air can work absolute wonders for your creativity, so even if nature itself doesn’t inspire you, I’m sure a good ole walk will!

Embrace your creative freedom

Embroidery is a form of art; we all know that by now! So, it is important to note here that it requires freedom of creativity. Freedom to be totally creative in your own unique way is the key to unlocking your own personal style and vision for the art that you create.

I don’t mean to get all philosophical here, so stay with me!

Essentially, art isn’t rigid, there are no pre-conceived rules that must be followed in order to create art (despite what your school art teacher may have told you!!). Creative freedom is all about letting your mind wander, and drawing or stitching anything that you please.

I often find that my most random ideas become some of my best embroidery patterns. Fear of making ‘mistakes’ or being too experimental often gets in our way, but it is definitely the truth that these moments of doubt turn into being your best work!

Creativity and spontaneity are intertwined, so shake off those rigid rules and see what you come up with.

Maximise on your productive days

Productivity ebbs and flows for everyone, even the people that seem to have endless creativity on the Instagram highlight reels. I know I definitely have days where I get a bunch of stuff designed, drawn, stitched. Buttt I also have days that I just can’t get stuck in to anything, and feel like I’ve not achieved a thing. Truthfully, the latter happen more than the former!

The key here is to recognise when you’re at your most productive and creative. When you feel that inspiration flowing, creating is totally effortless! I try to maximise these productive days, and be as creative as I can be on those days. The emails and admin can wait!

Ride the creative wave, and don’t beat yourself up when you’re just not feeling it.

Explore different art mediums

The internet has never made it easier for us to explore a huge variety of art mediums. No more do we have to visit art galleries or museums to experience different forms of art!

Whether it’s Instagram, Pinterest or art blogs online, there are countless platforms we can scour to experience art.

By immersing yourself in the work of other artists, you can gain brand new perspectives and approaches to your own unique style. Whilst your style can just be plucked out of thin air over years and years of drawing, you can also fast-track your route to a ‘unique style’ by experiencing the work of others.

Now let’s be clear, I’m not talking about copying the work of others here. That’s a wholeeeee other conversation topic, but I truly believe you can experience others’ work without being overly influenced by it, provided that you are experiencing a lot of different work.

Personally, I follow many creators that illustrate, paint watercolour, make ceramics, create clothing, and so many more. I love taking in allllll that creative passion and inspiration, and allowing all of it to give me a fresh perspective.



Finding your own path to inspiration is essential when it comes to creating your own embroidery designs. Whether you take a walk in nature, draw whatever comes to mind with total artistic freedom or explore a variety of different art mediums, I feel certain that you’d find a new lease of creative life!

These practices truly fuel my passion for my embroidery projects, and I hope you too feel inspired to get creative today.