How My Mood Board Keeps Me Inspired (A Beautiful Mess)

Now, I'm a huge fan of Pinterest, and I have my fair share of project inspiration folders scattered all over my desktop... and my phone.

But even still, there is just SOMETHING about tangible, physical inspiration that stands the test of time. This is why I still buy design and art books, and it's why I couldn't wait to put up an inspiration board in my office!

Today we're partnering with our friends from Canon USA to share why making a mood board in your workspace can keep you fresh and inspired!

As per usual, I used my favorite printer—the PIXMA iP8720. I love it because I can print a whole bunch of photos at once on my 13x19 paper, which is perfect for making mood boards! I typically use the Luster paper because the color comes out so lovely on it.

This is my autumn mood board. It's full of memories, color, texture and photos that are inspiring to me right now!

The best advice I have ever heard about keeping a mood board (and forgive me, I can't remember where I picked this up) is to change it up whenever you stop "seeing it". You know how if you leave something in a room for long enough (whether it's beautiful or a mess), you eventually stop noticing that it's even there? That's when you know it's time to refresh your mood board.

I like to do it every season, but if I'm designing product or in another big project, I might do it as often as every month.

Keep your mood board personalized, fresh and surprising!

Here's a list of the kinds of things I collect for my mood board:

-Favorite photos and memories
-Vintage inspiration
-Textiles and colors that inspire me
-Color, pattern and texture

I hope this post inspires you to set aside some time to create a mood board for your own workspace. The older I get, the more I realize that my dad's frequent quote, "You don't have time, you make time." is so true. I never HAVE time to do fun creative projects, I have to set it aside and guard it with a vengeance!

Have a wonderful day. xx! Elsie

Credits//Author: Elsie Larson. Photography: Elsie Larson and Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with the new A Beautiful Mess actions.