*Intercoiffure America Canada’s 2026 Collection. Sonya Dove, ICA Artistic Director. Thanks to Wella Professionals for their support.

For people who work in a creative industry like ours, it is easy to fall into a familiar pattern.

We look at hair to inspire more hair.  We follow other artists. We scroll through images. We study trends. We watch what is happening on stages, social media and behind salon chairs.

All of that can be valuable. But some of the most interesting creative ideas begin when we stop looking only inside our own world.

Inspiration may come from Music. Art. Fashion. Architecture. Film. Nature. Travel. Culture. Conversation. Something you notice walking down the street.

Creativity begins with paying attention. And once something captures your attention, there is a process that can help turn inspiration into something real.

• NOTICE

Start with curiosity.

What caught your eye? What made you stop? What made you feel something?

Do not immediately ask how it relates to hair. Just notice it.

 

• EXPLORE

Go deeper.

What is it about that music, image, place or experience that interests you?

Is it the rhythm? The shape? The movement? The contrast? The color? The emotion?

This is often where inspiration begins to become an idea.

• TRANSLATE

Now ask the creative question:

What could this become in my world?

A rhythm might become movement in hair.

Architecture might become shape. Nature might become color. A feeling might become texture.

Translation is not copying. It is interpreting something through your own point of view.

• EXPERIMENT

This is where creativity needs room.

Try something. Change it. Push it farther. Let part of it fail.

Many of the strongest creative ideas do not arrive fully formed. They are discovered through experimentation.

• EDIT

Creativity is also knowing when enough is enough.

What strengthens the idea? What distracts from it? What can be removed?

Editing is often what turns experimentation into a clear creative statement.

• SHARE

Finally, put the work into the world.

When one artist shares an idea, that idea may become the spark that inspires someone else.

And the cycle starts again.

Your inspiration may come from music, architecture, travel, nature, fashion, people or something completely unexpected. The important thing is to keep looking.  Inspiration is everywhere. 

Remember to: 

Notice. Explore. Translate. Experiment. Edit. Share.