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How To Create Something Inspired By Someone You Love

As heart-centred creatives with eyes wide open, it's only natural that we find ourselves creating things that are heavily inspired by our loved ones. Sometimes we deliberately do it over and over again. I'm looking at you fellow Cancerians! So, how do we create something inspired by someone we love?
That's something that I'd like to talk about today.

As heart-centred creatives with eyes wide open, it's only natural that we find ourselves creating things that are heavily inspired by our loved ones. Hell, sometimes we even do it over and over again deliberately. I'm looking at you fellow Cancerians! So, how do we create something inspired by someone we love?

That's something that I'd like to talk about today.

There are obvious rules when it comes to creating something of this ilk. Don’t exploit your person. Don’t make reference to very private information if you’re planning on sharing it far and wide. Don’t see it as a way of communicating with said person. This isn’t about airing dirty laundry or delivering up a heartfelt piece of creative work in lieu of an apology/adult conversation.
Otherwise, you’re kinda good to go.
In this post, I'm gonna call upon my experience to share some advice on how to create things about loved ones in the best way possible.
You can thank me later. 

So, how do we go about creating with someone specific in mind?


When I get the urge to create something about a loved one, I tend to find it useful to take an inventory of the person and the space they occupy in my head.
Typically if I’m writing about someone, there’s a specific motivation behind it so I’ll start by writing that mission at the top of the page.
Whether it’s about encapsulating someone’s spirit or using the work as a vessel for some kinda sentiment, I always feel that it’s useful to keep my motivation at the forefront of my mind.
Motivation steers the motifs and overall themes which then determine the tone which in turn takes care of the word choice, etc.
Make your motivator your guiding light.


As I mentioned above, I like to take an inventory of the space they occupy.
I do this by thinking about the relationship I have with them and make a point of noting down my thoughts and feelings about their character and our relationship.
Once that is down, I’ll then fill a page or so with the resounding images that fill my head when I think of them and our memories together.
Think of this part as bottling up their essence.
Once you’ve made a note of all of these things, circle the points that feel the most pertinent. Perhaps there’s a particular quality you’d like to tap into or a memory that would serve the creative piece well.
Look at everything you’ve circled and spend some time thinking about how these cogs might come together to create a coherent piece.


Pair your motivation with the most distinguished qualities/memories and determine what sort of motif or metaphor or image might run throughout the piece.
In tin can daydreams, for instance, I wrote about one of my best friends who, despite their own mental illness, always acts as a guiding light in the face of mine. This idea of light led me to darkness which, in turn, led me to the motif of space and planets and vast systems beyond our comprehension.
These bigger ideas may come once you have started drafting ideas so don’t worry if there’s no stand out image at this point.
Get started and see where your creative intuition takes you.


You’ve got your motivation, you might’ve conjured up an image or two, picked your person and figured out your perspective, so now it is time to think about how it all relates to one another.
How might your chosen person interact with the images that have come to mind? In what ways can you play with perspective in the creative choices you make?
The final piece doesn’t have to be neat and tied up in a bow, relationships don’t really work that way.
It may help you, at least during the early stages, however to envision how everything works as a whole.


Don’t try to work with too many disparate parts.
Pick a handful of images and set a resounding mission for the piece so as not to overload the work.
Choose an element of your loved one’s personality or pick a definitive location for them to inhabit.
Start small and see where you go from there but remember that sometimes less is more.
Think about capturing the smallest of details and when you find yourself adding things ask if they’re truly needed.


If you’re a little extra, you may want to channel your chosen person by making more of an effort with your surroundings.
Listen to a song that reminds you of them or dot a few of their things around like creative talismans. Keep a photo of them near or maybe even talk to them as you go.
Keep a focused mind and you’ll find it easier to channel their energy.


Get started with your project, remembering to return to the aforementioned steps when you feel a little unsure of the direction you want to head in.
Try not to get too in your head as you’re gonna want to be leading from your heart with this type of work.
Don’t feel confined by the fact that they’re a real person that exists in a very real space. Take them to new places, carve out the very parts of them that captivate you the most, contemplate how their spirit might invade pastures new.
This isn’t about capturing a perfect portrait. It’s about expressing things about this person that may not otherwise be given as much time and space.

My poem 'wayfarer' was inspired by my paternal grandmother. Give it a read to see how I put this advice to good use. 
Have you ever created something about a loved one before? What did the process look like for you? Did you relish the project or did you often feel quite vulnerable? 

This post originally featured on my Patreon page back in February 2020.
If you like what I do and would like to support me, as well as gain access to a ton of exclusive content and additional perks, you're welcome to join our community! There are three tiers at $5/£4, $7/£5.50 and $9/£7.30 a month. 


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