Inspiration Monday: Hawaii

Looking for something to spark your creativity? Look no further then America's 50th state: Hawaii. 

Hawaii is a favorite spot of mine for recharging the proverbial battery and gaining inspiration.  In fact, I make more life-altering decisions while sitting on sandy beaches in Hawaii then any other place on earth. Why is this?  It's because Hawaii forces you to stop whatever you are doing and realize you are part of a bigger entity.  It helps to balance the spirit and reminds you of what is important in life.  If that is not inspiring, I do not know what is. 
 

Visually, Hawaii abounds with inspiration, from its lush hillsides filled with plumeria flowers, hibiscus, orchids, and birds of paradise to its clear blue green waters. Black sand and white sand, porous lava rocks, and flaming volcanos offer textures for the imagination to build upon. Still looking for more elements to work from? Think of the coconuts, pineapples, pearls, coral, surf boards, hula girls, tiki statues, and even little tropical drink umbrellas. 

If you want a more classical design inspired by Hawaii, look to its rich cultural history. There is evidence of human habitation on the archipelago dating back to 300 BC.  After those early inhabitants, there were waves of immigrants from Tahiti and Bora Bora.  Then, in 1778, the arrival of James Cook marked Hawaii's first contact with Europeans. 

There are amazing line drawing motifs and symbols originally found as petroglyphs on cave walls and later repeated on parchment which depict ancient stories of these peoples, their arrival, and the consequences. You can find symbols too which represent such concepts as enlightenment, power, growth, fertility, and divination.  At the very heart of the Hawaiian culture is their inter-connectivity with the earth and how their gods and beliefs are inseparable from the land. Work these designs into your art and tell a story through your creation. 

Here is a selection of some beads you can work into your jewelry which help capture the spirit of Polynesian Hawaii:

To help access your inner Hawaii while creating, play some music by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, affectionately known as IZ. His mesmerizing voice and traditional Hawaiian songs will instantly make you feel like you are in the islands. 

- Julie