From digital hoarding to curated scrapbooks, my inspiration process got a reset

I mean, for years I'd just save every cool graphic I saw online into endless folders, but idk, it all felt disposable and samey. Maybe it's just me, but I stopped that and started keeping a physical scrapbook of torn magazine pages, ticket stubs, even paint chips from my job. The shift forced me to be more selective, only adding things that truly sparked something, like a color combo from a sunset or a layout from a vintage ad. Now, flipping through those pages feels way more intentional than scrolling, and it's led to designs that clients say have a unique, layered quality. Honestly, there's a tactile history in that book that a bookmark bar can't replicate. It's funny how going analog, in a small way, made my digital work feel more human again.

3 comments

3 Comments

robin_lee4h ago

Totally get that shift from infinite folders to something tangible. I did the same thing with moving my mood boards from Pinterest to a big, messy sketchbook, and it completely changed how I see patterns in my own taste. That physical edit really does translate back into the work somehow, making it feel less sterile.

evah612h ago

Silicon Valley sees a surge in physical mood boards.

nelson.jake3h ago

Wait, I dunno, my phone gallery feels plenty tactile to me. Flipping through my own photos from deliveries sparks way more than some magazine tear-out ever could.