Gather the glimmers

“Glimmers are good for us, good for the world, and a way to build a foundation for powerful change.” – Deb Dana

You might have heard of triggers, but have you heard of their opposite: glimmers?

Deb Dana, a trauma specialist, coined the term ‘glimmers.’ She describes them as small moments that happen inside – tiny sparks telling your body that "Everything's all good." Glimmers aren't just limited to feelings of joy or happiness; they can also be other positive emotions such as feeling relaxed or connected with others.

Even though glimmer moments are fleeting – like a quick flash – they play a big role in helping our nervous system feel more balanced and grounded throughout the day. The exciting thing is that the more you train your brain to notice these glimmers, the more frequently they will appear.

To start finding glimmers, Dana suggests setting a ‘glimmer intention.’ For example, you might decide to find one glimmer before lunch. By doing this, you help yourself get into the habit of recognising these small, positive moments in your day.

Our work as creatives often involves pressure and tight deadlines, which can lead to stress. So here’s an idea: what if you used glimmers as a tool to help manage that stress? Take a moment to appreciate the texture of your drawing paper, listen to the sound of your pencil on the page, or enjoy the satisfaction of completing a small task in a project.

Why not keep a ‘creative glimmer’ journal too? You could include quick sketches of things that inspire you, brief descriptions of moments when you felt creatively energised, or colour palettes that made you feel good.

Quality Pinterest alternatives for designers

If you rely on Pinterest for inspiration, you may notice that it often shows you similar and repetitive pins. Here’s some alternative visual search engines that can help you find fresh ideas and visuals when Pinterest isn't quite giving you the inspiration you need:

1. same.energy captures the artistic style and overall mood of an image, not just the objects in it. You can also upload your own images to find content that is similar, and filter out non-creative commons material.
2. cosmos.so has a unique feature where you can search by colour palette, making it easy to find inspiration that fits your theme.
3. public.work provides access to over 100,000 copyright-free public domain images from sources like The MET and the New York Public Library.

Watch my reel about these alternatives, and check out my Designer’s Toolkit for when you find them.