Inspiration Station: What is Scraplifting?

Inspiration is EVERYWHERE! So it’s no surprise that we get inspiration from other peoples’ work. We are a part of a rich community full of artists just bursting at the seams to create for our Creator! But sometimes it’s a struggle to gain inspiration from someone & incorporate the ideas into our own repertoire without copying. I found this great graphic by Austin Kleon about dos & don’ts of borrowing ideas:

Image Credit: Austin Kleon; Steal Like an Artist

Have you ever heard of a method called “Scraplifting?” This word refers to the act of looking at someone else’s project & using or “lifting” aspects of the page & incorporating them into your own project without copying. You can determine what you love about someone’s project & then put your own twist on it! I’ve scrap lifted a page by the lovely Shanna Noel & I wanted to share with you how I gained some wonderful inspiration from her creation! (Everything she creates is magic!)

This is a page that Shanna posted on the Illustrated Faith Instagram feed last week & I fell in love! (You can see a time-lapsed video of this layout HERE!) I’m all about the painty, textured, & messy Bible entries & I thought I would let this page inspire me! So I set to work. I used paint colors in a different color palette more suited to my needs & some different supplies, but I tried out her paint techniques in much the same way she did.

I altered the layout of the page to fit the placement of my scripture passage & to avoid recreating the same page she did. You can see from my brushstrokes that her painting technique influenced the background. I used a few of the same supplies she used on her page like the Criss Cross washi tape, puffy crosses, & Big & Bold letters, but I also remixed the page with NEW supplies! I’m a lover of embellishments, so I loved incorporating some pieces from the La-La-Love digital set in the Print & Pray Shop. This made it a completely different design than the original Shanna created!

Gaining inspiration from each other is such an important part of the creative process & being a part of an artistic community. It’s how we learn new techniques, get out of our comfort zones, & encourage each other! The idea is to do it while still acknowledging the original artist. So in any post where you gained obvious inspiration from someone, be sure to credit the original artist! It shows decency, camaraderie, & respect toward fellow artists & fosters that sense of community! :) Here is the final side by side of my page inspired by Shanna’s:

See how different they are, but sharing similar components!? This page was such a fun challenge for me & a way for me to channel my inner Shanna. :) Do more of whatever inspires you, but put your own flavor into everything. :) You’re not walking someone else’s creative faith journey– you’re walking yours! :)

<3 Elaine

Illustrated Faith La-La-Love digital set by Elaine Davis | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Puffy Crosses in One in a Melon, Bless Her Heart Mix, & Hey Sugar Sugar | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Big & Bold Alpha stickers in Black Eyed Pea (Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Genesis Collection Kit) | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd pen | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Criss Cross Black & White washi tape | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd tape runner | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Bright & Brave stamp set | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Elements stamp set | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Starter Kit paints | Bella Blvd Puffy Hearts in Oreo Black | ESV Single Column Leather Wrap Journaling Bible | Master’s Touch Acrylic paints in Purple Red, Emerald Green, Viridi, & Turquoise Green | Artist’s Loft Acrylic Paint in Portrait Pink | Faber-Castell Gelatos in Blood Orange, Metallic Melon, Guava, & Aqua Dolce  | Staz-On ink pad in Jet Black | Studio Calico Mega Date Stamp | mT gray polka dot washi tape