Blog Post: How I find inspiration during my travels 🍊🌼🌿 (Patreon)

Traveling always sounds inspiring. New places, new colors, new vibes. But in reality, inspiration doesn’t always just happen. I’ve learned that finding it is more about slowing down and noticing, than constantly searching for something spectacular.

I’ve been reminded of that again here in Portugal. In this blog post, I want to share how I found inspiration for my illustrations during my time here.

Slowing down to see more

When I first arrived here, I felt the urge to capture everything. Taking photos, going on trips and trying to see as much as possible. I wanted to photograph the landscapes, the architecture, etc. But the real inspiration came later, when I started to slow down.

Instead, over the past two weeks, I started looking for smaller moments: The variety of tiny flowers around our house, the typical Portuguese doors with their little details, the fruits, vegetables and fish at the local markets.

Right now, the Algarve is covered in soft yellow flowers. They grow everywhere, making the whole area feel almost magical. It’s such a simple detail, but it completely changes the atmosphere of a place, and that’s exactly the kind things I love to include in my illustrations.

Giving yourself time to gather inspiration

Inspiration in a new place doesn’t come right away. At first, I felt overwhelmed by all the things I could draw. After a while, after settling in, I found out that suddenly the ideas would come naturally and small moments of inspiration would pop up in my mind when I felt like drawing.

Where to find references

There are many ways to collect references without forcing yourself to start a final illustration right away. Sometimes, I don’t collect anything at all in the moment. I just walk, explore small villages, or spend time in nature, and look for references later. Those are often the moments that stay with me the most.

For me it mostly looks like this:

Bringing my digital camera and capturing small details while exploring. Not always with the intention of using them later, but simply because I enjoy taking photos. When I want to start a new illustration, I look back through these images for inspiration.

Being present and noticing the little things: a cat on the street, different tiles on houses, a beautiful plant. Even if you don’t capture it, it stays with you and often comes back later as inspiration.

Searching for images on Pinterest, but with intention, based on what already inspired me during my time exploring.

Final thoughts

I think what I keep learning during traveling is that inspiration isn’t something you need to chase. It’s already there, in the small details, in the everyday moments, in things you might not even notice at first. For me, it just takes slowing down enough to actually see them. And once you do, those little moments naturally find their way into your work.

I hope this inspires you to slow down a little and notice the beauty around you. ✨

Wishing you a lovely day with hopefully some new inspiration.

Celyn 🌸