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sweater // skirt // Tory Burch feathered shoes (similar) // desk // desk chair
I have to admit that I have hit a wall when it comes to the pandemic. I feel as if I am floating in limbo, stagnant in all areas of my life. I do my best to stay positive and calm and trust that everything will turn out alright. But there are days I have full breakdowns. One thing I am struggling with right now is my creativity.
I have always been a creative person. As a child I was very into arts and crafts. I had a wild imagination (still do). I grew up dancing, even graduated college with a BA in dance, choreography, and performance. My entire career path has been centered around the fashion, art, and dance world. I am constantly surrounded by creative people and inspiration. But lately, my creative spark feels dim. I know it’s because of the pandemic and it’s winter time. I always feel less motivated during this time of year anyway— I mean who wants to take blog photos in the 20 degree weather? Not me that is for sure.
As a blogger I feel pressure to always be on top of my creative game. If I am not posting images then I am not doing my job. My job is to show you beautiful imagery that I hope you like, clothes that I hope you will buy, and inspiration, a feel good vibration, when you look at my blog. I try my best to emulate all of that daily. Some days I feel I nail it, and some days it’s a struggle. Sometimes my creativity comes out in other forms like dancing, coloring, writing, playing with my niece, listening to music. It doesn’t always show in styling clothes or creating an IG Reel.
sweater // skirt // Tory Burch feathered shoes (similar) // desk // desk chair
I recently read a book called Love Lettering. It’s about a women living in Brooklyn named Meg who is a hand writer. Someone who writes the pretty fonts you see on stationery. In the book Meg hits a creative rut. She is working on a big project and can’t seem to produce anything original. With the help from a friend, she finds her inspiration from walking around the city. She walks around and looks at storefronts signs; some are handwritten on a chalkboard, some are printed on an a fabric. She looks at the fonts, the coloring, the sizing of these signs and writes down whatever sparks her interest in her notebook. Of course I am not a hand writer, although I wish I had that type of talent, but I love how a simple storefront sign helps her creativity flow. It’s tells you that you can find inspiration anywhere. In a way I do this with shopping. I will aimlessly, without an agenda, scroll through a website or walk around a store trying to find inspiration for my next blog outfit. Sometimes when you stop looking for something, that is when it happens. Here are ways I find creative inspiration.
Step away from the project: When you are trying to force creativity, it will not flow. Sometimes you have to step away from whatever it is that you are creating and do something else. Do something that you love like reading a book, go to a museum, listen to music. I have created many looks inspired by a song that I am loving at the moment. You can try to create something else for fun; for example create a Valentine’s Day card for someone. I enjoy coloring in my Vogue color book when I have the chance. You can try a new recipe and cook a meal for yourself. Learn a new language or how to cross stitch. When you do something you enjoy or trying something different, you are opening up your mind to new thoughts and ideas.
Move your body: As someone who has studied dance since they were 3 years old, movement has been the source of most of my inspiration. I was taught in college to find a purpose in each movement you do with shapes, space, contrast, and fluidity. Movement makes you feel things and clears your head. You don’t need to do a thousand burpees, you can simply go for a long walk. You can dance, stretch, or lift weights. Movement is how we express our emotions. When you really pay attention to your movements, it can be a source of inspiration. And like I said, it clears your head. My weekly walks are more than fresh air and moving off of the couch. I go on walks to find inspiration. I find it in the people that walk by. I scout for locations to shoot. And in a city like New York, you never know what you may stumble upon.
Create a mood board: When I stared Blush and Blooms I figured out the name by creating a mood board. I went on Pinterest and pulled off a bunch of images that inspired me. There were no rules nor was I looking for a particular aesthetic. Like Marie Kondo says “if it sparks joy, keep it”. After gathering images that sparked joy, I pinned them to a cork board and spent hours staring at it. I wrote down themes that stemmed from it– lots of flowers and pink. Then I played with names and voilà Blush and Blooms was created. To this day I still use a mood board for my creative spark (and also manifestation). I change it every once in a while to entice more inspiration. Perhaps an image came into fruition and I want to change it out to something else. Right now butterflies inspire me, so I will be adding images of butterflies onto my mood board soon.
Journal: Sometimes the reason why we are stuck is because we have too many thoughts going on. We may be thinking about bills, family, relationships, or a deadline which is blocking the flow of creativity. Start journaling your thoughts. When you are over thinking, writing down your thoughts is a way to release them and whatever emotion they have attached to it. Journaling, however, is also great to write down creative sparks. If you feel drawn to something, write about it and see what develops. You never know what may come from simply writing down your thoughts.
Turn to others: One of the things I say when it comes to blogging is inspiration over competition. Look to your peers and colleagues to get inspired. No I am not saying to copy someone, be your original self. I am saying you can get inspired by others. Some bloggers tell stories through their images while others post in the moment outfits to feel more relatable. Both inspire me to create….. not imitate. Looking at interior decor on Instagram gets my creative juices flowing. So does flowers, houses, quotes, fashion brands, and travel content. Right now an elderly lady named Edna who reads passages from literature on her IG is my biggest inspiration. I also want to be her when I grow up. You can take away a lot by scrolling through Instagram. But be original in your creations.
