February 16, 2017
Whether you’re a professional artist or a successful businesswoman, sometimes we all need a little extra inspiration in our lives. And, while you might think that inspiration is only good for coming up with new art projects, it it actually offers more benefits that just that.
In fact, research has shown that people who are regularly inspired self-report greater creativity over time, were more likely to succeed at self-imposed goals, and experienced greater overall well-being.
READ MORE: Why Every Working Woman Should Make Art – According to Art Therapists
Ready to be inspired and reap all of inspiration’s benefits? Here are five Instagram accounts that – according to science – can get your creative juices flowing ASAP!
Amanda McFarlane is a self-taught, freelance artist who draws Disney-inspired art of TV characters, celebrities and sometimes her three, adorable daughters. According to McFarlane’s website, “My passion has always been with art and to become someone who inspires or lightens someone’s daily life with illustrations they can relate to or just plain laugh about.”
If laughter is her goal, some of McFarlane’s drawings are especially successful – like her most recent sketch of what people look like when they feel sick.
While it may sound silly, laughing is actually one way you can boost your own creativity. In fact, a 2010 study found that, after people were exposed to a comedy workshop, their product ideas in a subsequent brain-storming session increased by an average of 37 percent.
So, if you feel stuck at work, out of ideas for your latest art project or just in need of a creative reboot, visiting an adorably hilarious Instagram account like McFarlane’s may be exactly what you need!
If you want something a little more highbrow, you might want to check out Rupi Kaur’s Instagam account instead. Based in Toronto, Kaur is a poet, writer and performer. Her poetry is often complemented by her own sketches. According to Kaur’s website, she began drawing at the age of five, partly because she was an immigrant from India who didn’t yet know English. Once she learned the language, though, reading and writing become some of her new passions.
Along with writing, Kaur is a photographer and is known for daring photo series like “period,” which went viral back in 2015 when Instagram initially censored the images. In her online bio, Kaur says that “her her passion is expression. she just uses different mediums at different times to do so. and poetry is just one of those mediums. along with it she dabbles in illustrating, design, photography, videography, and creative direction.”
READ MORE: 5 Instagrams to Follow That Feature Actual Art
What benefits could you get from reading (and enjoying the paired artwork of) Kaur’s poetry? According to researchers from one 2013 study, serious literature like poetry can “shift mental pathways to create new thoughts, shapes and connections” in readers’ brains. Poetry in particular was found to light up the right hemisphere of the brain, which is associated with autobiographical memory and emotion. This caused readers to reflect on their past experiences, especially in light of messages in the poem.
The next time you want to take a trip down memory lane, pull up Kaur’s account to use as a road map.
Not much is known about this coffee-obsessed account except that it is based in Glasgow, Scotland. But, really, anyone can relate to wanting to dive into steaming cups of coffee. The “art” aspect is simple: just doodles on the outside of coffee cups. You won’t find any fancy backdrops or camera shots either. This is one of those cutesy Instagram accounts that is minimalistic, yet detailed.
Why do we love this page – besides the fact that it can help fulfill our caffeine cravings? Coffee Illustrated showcases what you can do with just a pen and a coffee cup, which can be exactly what you need for a creative boost. Research has found that people are often afraid of creativity because of they’re worried about failing, not finishing their project or being rejected when sharing the idea with others. Because of this, people can even associate creativity with words like “vomit,” “poison,” and “agony.”
READ MORE: Literal Starving Artists Create Paintings to Inspire the World
Accounts like Coffee Illustrated can help by showing that art doesn’t have to be complicated. It can just be a cute doodle on a coffee cup…and still get hundreds of likes on Instagram!
If you have a case of wanderlust or want to gaze at stunning photos from all over the world, then you need to follow Liz Carlson’s Instagram account. According to her blog, Carlson has been to around 50 countries in 10 years, and her eclectic mix of photos – whose locations range from Mt. Cook National park in New Zealand to the deserts of Jordan – definitely reflect her travels.
Carlson’s adventures started in Spain, after which she soon morphed into a self-professed “professional nomad (read: hobo).” Once she learned professional travel blogging was a thing, “I walked into my boss’ office, told him to stuff it, and then moved to New Zealand.” For now, she lives in Wanaka where she tries to “inspire and make people smile (and snort with laughter if I can manage it).”
READ MORE: 7 Ways Traveling Makes You a Better Person
Sure, spending your lunch hour dreaming of foreign adventures may be enough of a reason to check out Adventuress. However, research has found several other benefits to scrolling through into nature photos like Carlson’s. Studies have often linked nature with creativity, with one research team observing that spending a few days in nature boosted participants’ creativity by 50 percent. If you don’t have time to enjoy the good ol’ outdoors, though, one 2005 study suggests that nature photos are just as helpful in boosting people’s mental energy and attention spans.
Who knew that taking a couple minutes to leisurely scroll through nature photos could be just what you need to break through that afternoon slump?
Her name might be Elena Kalis, but we personally think this artist should be known as the “Queen of Underwater Photography.” This Russian-born photographer is (at least Instagram) famous for her underwater photography of young girls. While her photo subjects may stay the same, she isn’t afraid to experiment with different themes.
In an interview, Kalis revealed that she lives in the Bahamas, which offer clear waters that are perfect for her projects. “I like how different things and people look underwater; movements are graceful and free, and it has a dreamlike quality that is difficult to achieve on land,” she says. “I usually plan as what I want to achieve, but it’s always a surprise what you will get in the end of the day. It’s unpredictable and exciting.”
READ MORE: Here Are the Body Positive Instagrams You Should Be Following
Ironically enough, however, Kalis’s photos may have the opposite emotional effect on you thanks to their plentiful shades of blue. Research has found that the color blue often makes people feel the most centered, calm and hopeful; it can even lower people’s heart rates. Possibly because the color blue makes people feel safe, blue can also boost creativity. One 2009 study found that participants in blue environments produced twice as many ideas during a brainstorming session than those in red environments.
If you find yourself stressed out or dealing with writer’s (or other artistic) block, maybe you should get your (visual) feet wet and look at an Instagram feed like Kalis’s.
No matter what your occupation in life, inspiration is an important factor in your creativity, happiness and overall well-being. Creative inspiration doesn’t have to be complicated, either. Sometimes, it’s a simple as scrolling through an amazing Instagram account (or five)…
