Creative inspiration is hiding in your kitchen…..

You know, people love to overcomplicate creativity, don’t they?

They’ll tell you to seek out breathtaking sunsets, walk barefoot through dewy meadows, or sit on top a mountain in silent meditation. But let’s be honest—who has the time? You’re more likely to find yourself staring at a stack of unwashed dishes than a picturesque landscape. And guess what? That’s exactly where you should be looking for inspiration!

Andy Warhol we all know for the humble can of Campbells soup one of the most iconic paintings from the pop art era. I’m sure he wasn’t trawling through the Louvre for inspiration; he was probably just hungry. So, if Warhol can find genius in a pantry, so can you! Too often we get artist block “I just don’t know what to draw” ….. so let’s rummage through the house and see what hidden artistic gems we can uncover.

First let’s start with tonight dinner – a good old bowl of Spag Bog. You’ve got your carbs, your bright red tomato sauce, and a tangled curly whirly mess of pasta. But if you look a little closer, it’s basically abstract expressionism. Those swirling strands of spaghetti are like brushstrokes of a Jackson Pollock painting, chaotic, yet purposeful. Next time you sit down to eat, why not sketch the beautiful mess on your plate? Or take a photo if you are hungry lol

Then there is the fridge…. we’ve all got one but wow it’s a pandoras box inside.

Open your fridge. Go on, I’ll wait. What do you see?

Leftover pizza?

A suspicious-looking jar of something?

And ah, yes surely a few fridge magnets! These quirky little souvenirs from past holidays, random pizza delivery places, and your aunt’s collection of cat magnets are ripe for inspiration. These aren’t just magnets; they’re symbols of everyday life, each with its own little story. You could do a whole series of still-life sketches titled "The Magnet Chronicles."

Now this is a little left field, but I did my degree in Contemporary Art and the viewpoint is everything and anything is art, live art is in fact art in motion…….so that takes me to the laundry and hello Mr Washing Machine!

But …. hear me out. Your washing machine, with its rhythmic churning and hypnotic spinning, is practically a performance art piece. Stick a camera in front of it, let the soap suds and wet clothes create their own chaotic dance, and call it "Domestic Dreams." Bonus points if you leave a red sock in the load and everything comes out pink—it’s an accidental homage to colour theory! Warhol loved repetition and patterns, and what’s more repetitive than the endless cycle of laundry? Video the cycle on a time lapse or slow motion and see what creative patterns are formed…..inspiration right there

Next to my laundry is the downstairs dunny (as we say in Oz – or toilet to everyone else) Yes, I went there….and I am going to pick the one thing we don’t want to think about…..but hey why not let art push boundaries and taboos. SO

The humble toilet brush.

Sure, it’s not glamorous, but why does inspiration have to be pretty?

Look at this everyday hero: it’s practical, it’s bristly, it gets the job done. If Warhol can make tomato soup a masterpiece, you can certainly turn the toilet brush into a metaphor for the everyday grind. Think of it as a symbol of resilience—day in and day out, it faces adversity head-on, one flush at a time. Now that’s art.

After all that scooting around the house, I’m ready for a cuppa and that brings me to my final Objet d'art - The Kettle: A Whistle of Inspiration

It’s hot, it’s steamy, and it’s whistling for your attention. No, not your partner—it’s the kettle! Every time it whistles, think of it as your creative alarm clock. It’s calling you to action! Warhol turned the most ordinary items, like Brillo boxes into cultural icons. Why not immortalize the kettle? "Tea for Two" could be your breakthrough masterpiece, capturing the comforting, everyday ritual of a cuppa. Plus, you get a hot drink at the end of it. Win-win.

The beauty of art is that inspiration is everywhere, especially in the ordinary. Warhol saw that, and he celebrated it in the boldest way possible. So next time you're hunting for ideas, don’t think you have to wait for some grand epiphany. Just look around. Maybe it’s in the pile of unfolded laundry or lurking in the bathroom cabinet next to the toothpaste. I could go on and on, fruit bowls, shoe racks, cutlery, house plants….the list of ideas is endless and I will be exploring this during ‘SKETCHTOBER” so why not join me? You don’t need to buy anything, go anywhere, just something to draw on and something to draw with and we will head off around the house on a 31-day creative sketching adventure!! I will be popping in live in the Facebook page @ucreateartstudio so like and follow and lets do this….

After all, if a can of soup can make art history, there’s no reason why your collection of mismatched socks can’t do the same. So go ahead—grab that toilet brush, pour yourself a cuppa, and let the everyday magic happen.

See you on October 1st

Love Bess.