If I'm not being creative myself, it's often because I'm too busy enjoying someone else's creativity. I love that great feeling after reading an all-encompassing book where you can't wait to recommend it, or after watching a gripping film when you feel like you're still there in the story (unless it's Saw, in which case I get as far away from it as possible with an episode of Friends). The hope that one day I'll write something that makes people feel like that is pretty much why I'm here, so I thought I'd post about some recent inspiration...

Great authors

It does seem like everyone wants to write a book, but maybe it's just that I'm surrounded by writers? As well as my love for Sophie Kinsella's light-hearted shopaholics and co, I've recently found I love a good thriller when it comes to reading. Enter, Linwood Barclay - his stories read like an unfolding ITV drama (I mean this in a good way) and keep me turning the page no matter what time it is or how long until my alarm clock is due to annoy me. Never Look Away had me guessing right until the end, but my favourite so far has been No Time for Goodbye - original, tricky and refreshingly 'real' under all the crime and darkness of the plot.

Great musicians

It's no secret that I am addicted to Spotify, Ibiza and maybe a bit of The X Factor, but sometimes in this reality-show driven era of music it's easy to forget that there are real musicians out there who could be the next big icon. When I was younger my idols were Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Kylie because I thought they'd be around forever - now I think the same of Beyonce, the late Michael Jackson and well, Kylie (there's just no stopping her!). 

Last week I saw Bruno Mars at the Brixton Academy and I couldn't believe what a born entertainer he was - he has so much charisma, a smile that could melt anyone into pure lust, and a voice and super cool dance moves that make me think he was born into the wrong decade. His support act was Skylar Grey, who co-wrote Love the Way You Lie and sings it pretty damn well too - she has a haunting voice that reminds me of Evanescence and is definitely one to watch.

Great films

Thanks to the brilliant LoveFilm I have a regular dose of film landing on my doorstep so that if I miss a trip to the ever-expensive cinema I can add it to my wishlist. With Oscar season upon us there are so many great movies to see out there at the moment that I don't know where to start - though obviously, anything with Ryan Gosling in gets prioritised for me; I can't wait to see Ides of March and have also got my eye on Justin Timberlake's new release, In Time.

I recently saw Drive and left with both the shakes and a thumping heart - I don't know why it got to me so much but the way it was directed had me quite literally holding my breath, and Gosling played his multi-dimensional character perfectly.  I also saw the other Ryan of note, Ryan Reynolds in Buried (courtesy of LoveFilm) and I think it must be the most tense film I have ever watched. Filmed purely in a coffin in which he has been buried alive, it really was thought-provoking and one of the most memorable movies for me in recent cinema. 

What inspires you to be creative, or what books/films/music have you discovered lately? I'm currently reading We Need to Talk About Kevin, definitely not my usual chick-lit with a happy ending...