Inspirational magazines for creatives

I am never short of inspiration when I have a stack of old magazines on the coffee table. I hoard them like family heirlooms and constantly refer to my favourites when I need to give my creative juices a bump start.

And with my brother living in America I was able to get my hands on a new stash when he flew over to visit last weekend. I just have to share these three with you. Beautiful presentation, jaw dropping photography and elegant prose to ponder over.

First up is Hearth. A heavy weight, fine art bookazine that you save forever. A success Kickstarter project that is printed as quarterly volumes and evokes a super cool but completely accessible nature. Photo essays to get lost in, a magical literary world of stories from artisans, makers, doers and dreamers. 

There is a definite style that resonates through the magazine but the content is so varied no one feature feels the same. Striking black and white images, dreamy pastels and colourful recipe shots. The thing I love the most about this publication is it's ability to leave you calm but positive in an effortless way, despite the great amount of effort it must take the editorial team to bring together. 

I found a copy of the Queen of craft's magazine Living in a WHSmith last Summer but haven't found it since. So I ordered a few back issues and I cannot put them down. Bursting with colour, this is one to bend to read in the bath, get sandy on holiday and read with a notepad and pencil next to you. 

I read Martha Stewart's monthly publication with my eyes popping, at the colour, the divine food photography, and I find myself inspired to jot down tens of blog post ideas. One issue has a great downloadable flower wrap idea which made me instantly think of blogging some of my favourite floral photographs and turning them into a download for you, to give as a posy wrap to your mother for Mother's Day. It's ok to be inspired and take an idea and make it your own. Developing your own ideas from something you've seen, heard or tasted is all part of a creative process.

Living is heavily influenced by florals and 5 minutes thumbing the shiny pages makes me want to reach for my camera and get snapping for no reason other than to capture something pretty!

You can download digital versions of Living which is fab. 

Lastly is Darling Magazine. In magazine terms this is a big one! A larger than A4, thick paper bookazine. It's my mission to collect all the issues over time! I LOVE that they talk about the empowerment of women. The magazine focusses between 8 female characters; The Dreamer, The Hostess, The Confidant, The Stylist, The Explorer, The Beautician, The Intellectual and The Achiever. I think one of the reasons I adore this magazine is that I can identify with all the attributes of each character in any given week. And it feels like a magazine to savour, to wait to read until you are going to be completely undisturbed by general, everyday life. Not one to get wet or sandy, but one to completely immerse yourself in. 

Who are you? I guess I feel most affinity with the hostess. I love filling our home with guests. I love welcoming them, spoiling them and enjoying other people's company. My cooking skills could improve though! This magazine is one for stunning photography lovers, mothers, makers and creatives.

And if you don't take my word for it, read this. What makes Darling Magazine different. 

You can download digital copies of Darling for just $5 so head over here. 

What are your favourite magazines for inspiration?