top of page
Search

A little creative inspiration from Susan Yeates

11 minutes ago
3 min read

Look what the lovely Susan Yeates sent me!

I was sent this 365 Inspiring Prompts card deck a little while ago, but I've been so busy preparing for the start of my upcoming art courses that I put it somewhere safe until I had time to have a proper look at it.


And when I finally opened it, I wasn't disappointed. It's a really lovely little set.


Inside the box are 52 illustrated cards, each with seven creative prompts, giving you 365 prompts altogether. The cards are a nice postcard size, so they would be easy to pop into a sketchbook or bag if you wanted to take one with you.


The prompts are quite varied too. There are some familiar subjects, such as flowers, insects and buildings, but there are also prompts that make you think a little differently, such as something that smells good or things you used today.


I like that they aren't telling you exactly what to draw. You get a starting point and then you can take the idea wherever you want.


There's also a 96-page guidebook included, which talks about making time for creativity, developing a regular sketching habit and letting go of some of the pressure to make everything "good". There are also some warm-up exercises and ideas for creative play.


So, I thought I'd try one...

Naturally, I couldn't open a box of creative prompts without trying one for myself!


I chose #20 Buildings.


Rather than drawing an actual building, I decided to see where the word took me and created an imagined street that spirals around the page, with lots of different houses and buildings.


I used acrylic pens and pastel colours and ended up with something quite different from what I might normally draw.


I really enjoyed doing this because I didn't have to sit down and think, "What shall I draw?" The prompt had already done that bit for me.


From there, I could interpret it however I wanted.


I think this is where a set like this can be useful. If you enjoy sketching and like having a little nudge to get you started, having a collection of ideas to choose from could be just what you need.


But I don't think creative prompts are necessarily for everyone, and that's okay too. Some people prefer to develop their own ideas, work from observation, follow a particular project or simply see where their materials take them.


For me, the interesting thing about trying this deck was seeing what happened when I started with just one simple word: Buildings. It took me somewhere I hadn't expected, and I enjoyed the process of seeing the idea develop.


As someone who teaches art, I'm always encouraging people to experiment and enjoy the process rather than worry about creating something perfect. So, while this isn't something I'd necessarily suggest to every artist or student, I can certainly see how it could be useful for someone who enjoys sketching, wants a bit of inspiration, or sometimes finds themselves staring at a blank page wondering what to draw. You could spend ten minutes sketching an idea, experiment with a material, or simply use the prompt as a way of looking at something you might normally overlook.


I've only tried one of the 365 prompts so far, so I'll be interested to see where the next one takes me!



Disclosure: Susan Yeates kindly sent me a copy of the card deck to try. The thoughts and opinions in this post are my own.

Comments

bottom of page