On an early morning train journey the other day, I took a moment to enjoy the sunrise. As the sun started to break the horizon, the refraction of the sun hitting the underside of the clouds created the illusion of another land. Some of my pictures are the best examples of this phenomenon. However, the one below is fabulous.

I have turned the image upside down to further portray this. The blue sky could be the sea, the clouds the sand and the hills the land beyond. Or even the sky is the sea, the clouds the breaking of the waves and the dark hills the dark night sky.

So often, we (or I) look at objects, items and scenes for what they are. Learning to look at different forms and perspectives can challenge the boundaries of design and concept. This drives creativity, which often nowadays is lacking.

I sometimes get stuck in my designs; I need a springboard to ignite my thought process to fuel my work. Having an open mind to absorb and explore in a childlike, “non-judgemental” way may help to enable an authentic, inspired, creative outcome.

Times like this always remind me of my favourite poem by William H Davies:

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

From this I hear:

Take in what’s around you,
remove the stresses if but for a moment from daily life.
We have so much around us that can enlighten us;
just stop, take it in and let it empower you.