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Pinterest for Inspiration

Everyone has heard of writer’s block, and the concept has been expanded to include “artist’s block” for those of us that paint or draw. But what about the equally frustrating “blocks” for all the other artistic endeavors? We’ve all been there: you want to bake a great birthday treat for a friend, but all you can think up is a basic birthday cake. Or you just moved into a new dorm or apartment, and have no idea how to decorate without breaking the bank. You could randomly Google for ideas and wade through the results, but that also requires knowing what you’re googling for. Sometimes you just want to browse.

Enter Pinterest, the rapidly-expanding online “pin board” where you can view things that other people have already found (called “pins”) and “pin” things yourself for your own reference or to share with others.

What is pinning? Pinning is essentially posting a picture that catches your eye somewhere on the web to Pinterest. The thing that makes it different is Pinterest’s easy-to-install “pin it” button. Once installed, any time you’re on a website with a photo, you can click “pin it” to automatically pin the picture to your Pinterest account. This saves the hassle of saving and uploading a picture or adding every website with an interesting picture to your ‘favorites’ folder. It also has the added bonus of linking to the original site, which makes it ideal for saving craft projects, recipes, and anything that has directions that you may need down the road. Pinterest allows you to create multiple “boards” to pin to, so you can organize things you find on the internet for easy reference later on. See a great recipe, but don’t have time to make it right now? Pin it to a “recipes” board. Come across a fabulous dress you want to buy after your next paycheck? Pin it to a “clothing” or “wishlist” board. The possibilities are endless! (as seen in photo 1)

In addition to pinning things from the web, you can also browse other users’ pins, and choose to follow pinners that frequently post things you like. If you see something really interesting, you can even repin it to your own board.

So how does this help with inspiration-block? The sheer amount of pictures and projects is sure to offer you something interesting that will kickstart your creativity. Many times, I’ll sign in to Pinterest looking for ideas on one project but end up being inspired by other things that I never could have predicted or anticipated. I have “boards” for everything from fashion and wardrobe updates to furniture and decorating ideas for my dream house. Signing in to Pinterest, you may come across anything from a cool shelf or striped ice cubes to April Fool’s Day pranks and kids’ bedroom ideas (as seen in photo 2). Pinterest offers the ability for users to consolidate only the most interesting or inspiring photos, recipes, decorating ideas, clothing, gifts, and more into one central location, ensuring a steady stream of beautiful or amazing things. And with more users everyday, Pinterest is rapidly becoming a perfect place to break that creative block.  

Editor's note:  Be sure to check out pinterest.com/thalo (as seen in photos 3 & 4)

Photo Credits

Photo 1 Creative Commons Aitortu-Partekatu Erabilera baldintzak  

Photo 2 courtesy of Sarah Cunningham

Photos 3- 4 courtesy of thalo.com