Bali in Bloom: Chaos, Colour and Creative Sparks
Bali is not a place you just visit — it’s a place you feel. A place where everything pulses with life. From the moment I stepped off the plane, I was enveloped in a whirlwind of scent, sound and staggering beauty.
The hot, humid air hits like a wall, thick with the aroma of frangipani and incense. The roar of motorbikes weaves a constant soundtrack through narrow streets, while the chime of temple bells and sudden tropical downpours add rhythm to the chaos. It’s a sensory overload in the best possible way.
Finding Floral Magic
It’s also where my deep love affair with florals began. Looking back at the photos from my trip, almost every image is of something green or blooming. I became utterly captivated by Bali’s lush, unrelenting beauty. Bright hibiscus, star-shaped frangipani, and mysterious orchids seemed to spill from every corner, each one more vibrant than the last. The smells were heady, the colours electric.
Inspiration in Motion
Nature isn’t just present in Bali — it’s inescapable. Monitor lizards patrolled our garden like prehistoric guards, geckos chirped in the kitchen, and we had a surprise visit from a very confident huntsman spider in the bathroom! Bali is a place where everything is alive, whether you’re ready for it or not.
An Unexpected Creative Spark
Though the trip was a family holiday, it turned out to be a pivotal moment in my creative journey. It was early in my surface pattern career, and I found myself constantly inspired. We’d spend our days wandering through temples, trekking along coastlines, and shelling in rocky tide pools. I snorkelled in bath-warm waters filled with sea cucumbers, star fish, living coral, and shoals of neon fish. The underwater world felt like a living moodboard.
From Ubud to Uluwatu: Exploring Bali’s Best Bits
There were beach days spent under relentless sun, with water so clear you could count the grains of sand beneath your toes. We explored the spiritual heart of Bali in Ubud, lounged and snorkelled in laid-back Uluwatu, and discovered the café culture and cool vibes of Canggu. Each spot offered something different, but all were full of energy, style and colour.
One afternoon, we stumbled upon a funky little café tucked away in the countryside. It had a street art gallery on the walls and was surrounded by terraced rice paddies glowing gold in the late sun. It felt like a microcosm of modern Bali — a blend of ancient traditions and contemporary creativity.
Canggu Cool
Canggu, with its surf breaks and smoothie bowls, stood out as a highlight. It’s hip without trying too hard, and some of my favourite meals in Bali were enjoyed in its breezy, bohemian cafés. But as Bali becomes increasingly popular (and let’s be honest — crowded), we found ourselves yearning for places a little more off the beaten path.
Amed: A Peaceful Escape Beneath the Volcano
One weekend, we packed up and ventured north, away from the throngs of tourists, toward a quieter corner of the island — Amed. This sleepy fishing village on the east coast turned out to be a dream. Tucked beneath the shadow of the majestic Mount Agung, Amed feels like stepping back in time. Life moves slowly here, and there’s a peace in the air that’s hard to describe.
We spent lazy days strolling along black-sand beaches, swimming in rocky coves, and sipping ginger tea in barefoot beach bars. The crowds were gone, and in their place was space — to think, to breathe, to be. Amed was raw and real, a glimpse into the Bali that once was, and we loved it for that.
Flowers That Changed My Art Forever
What stayed with me most, long after we left, were the flowers. Exotic and strange, delicate yet fierce. Some looked like tiny creatures, with petal “faces” staring back at you. Others bloomed boldly, seemingly overnight. These flowers — and the vibrant life of Bali — have become a recurring motif in my work.
Many of my surface patterns from the Exotica collection were born out of that first tropical immersion, and the island continues to inspire my tropical designs to this day.
Now that I’m living in the southern hemisphere again, I’m so excited for more creative getaways to Bali. It’s not just a destination — it’s a muse. And if you let it, Bali will change the way you see the world around you.
All photos copyright ©Abbey Mae