Sharing inspiration takes many forms. Sometimes we are working on the same project at the same time, such as our waffle crochet blankets, or the Wizard of Oz cross stitch. Sometimes we are doing our own thing based off the same prompt list, like Easter Bingo. Sometimes, it’s a lot more tangential than that, and the initial inspiration spins off into something completely different.
Car has been working on the most recent classes for the Wizarding Art Society. It looks like a barrel of fun, and her pages are amazing. At the same time, I know it’s not a great fit for me to take on the class right now. I just sit on the sidelines, pom-poms at the ready, to cheer on her progress.
A couple of weeks ago though, she showed me a starting sketch for a class based on The Room of Requirement. Like a puppy who just heard the food bin rattle, my ears perked up, and I was off at a run. You know what would be cool, says I, a room of requirement zine full of little interactive elements. The Minister agreed it would be cool and gave me a shove off the ledge and into a new project.
The base of the zine is an A4 Kraft paper page folded down to A6. I’ve completely one double page spread, and done the first layer of the second double page spread. The interactive elements of this second layout are quite involved so I haven’t managed to get any further yet, beyond collecting some collage elements to see if I can bring my vision to life. That will then leave me with the last double page spread and the front and back covers. I do have a bit of a plan for those, and I’m hoping to start making a bit of progress on those pages this week.
Its interesting to me, what hits the inspiration button when we are chatting and sharing ideas. It’s often the randomest things, like this. I couldn’t even tell you why this particular thing grabbed me and insisted it be made immediately. Maybe because we’ve been doing some mini book projects anyway? And I have been enjoying dabbling in collage, so that tied in. My daughter is in a mad Harry Potter stage which helped prime the stages as well. The chance to do something together-but-not is always a strong motivator. Maybe it is just as simple as that. “You’re making a cool thing and I want to make a cool thing but I can’t make your cool thing so I’m going just make a different cool thing alongside you.” Making cool things alongside each other. Could nearly be the Ministry motto.