Why Creative Souls Collect Beauty...

There was a time in my life when my “art budget” was exactly zero.

No new paints.

No fancy books.

No online classes.

Nothing.

But my creative eye was still hungry.

So I did what so many quiet, resourceful artists do:

I started collecting beauty in the only way I could.

I would walk from library to library all over town, always drifting toward the little corner where they kept their discarded and free magazines. Most people passed them by without a second glance, but to me? They were treasure chests. A flicker of color, a flower petal, a bold brushstroke, a sunset… it all felt like a tiny spark I could tuck into my pocket.

I’d gather those magazines like they were prize jewels.

At home, I’d sit at the kitchen table with a pair of scissors, slowly cutting out the images that spoke to me — the ones with bold color, soft light, Impressionistic movement, or a simple shape that made my heart catch for half a second. Those moments mattered. They still do.

And because I couldn’t bear to waste anything, I’d use recycled cardboard from whatever we had in the house  cereal boxes, packaging, even the backs of old notebooks and turn them into handmade art books.

Little books of color.

Little books of comfort.

Little books that made the world feel gentler.

I didn’t call them “mood boards” back then.

But that’s exactly what they were.

Those pages kept me going during times when nothing else did. They gave me ideas, energy, hope. They whispered, “You’re still an artist. Keep going.”

And here I am, all these years later, still collecting beauty — still making something from nothing. Only now, I do it digitally too. Pinterest boards, mood collages, little quote cards layered over Impressionistic florals. It’s the same soul, the same instinct… just new tools.

Because some habits never leave a creative heart.

We collect beauty not because we’re bored or frivolous — but because we are wired to gather the sparks that keep our spirit alive.

Some people collect coins.

Some collect recipes.

Some collect shoes.

Creative souls?

We collect color, shape, inspiration, and light — wherever we can find it.

And to this day, nothing brings me the same joy as sitting down with scraps of paper, cardboard, glue, and images I’ve pulled from the world around me. There is magic in making something beautiful out of what others might discard. There is dignity in it. There is resilience in it.

If you’re like me — someone who gathers images, ideas, textures, colors — don’t ever think it’s silly or small.

It’s not.

It’s survival.

It’s art.

It’s hope.

And every time you collect beauty, you’re planting a little seed for the artist you are becoming.