I’ve always journaled. It’s a necessary practice. Even before I thought of why I record, I recorded. All my work can be traced back to the journal. I’ve blogged about art journals + inspiration since college, but realized that I’ve been journaling differently lately. For the last two years, the process of journaling hasn’t been as beneficial to me or my work as in the past. It’s become a place to write down thoughts—but then throw them on the shelf and not reflect further. Journaling is about more than the flow from the pen to paper, so it’s time to start practicing again, take these records, and use them in the process of creation.
Cozy & bright conscious fall fashion
vintage turban headband / vintage utopia sweater / abera crossbody tote / blush silk scarf / gem slice bracelet / patterned sequin clutch
I had a lot of fun with this roundup. My idea was to find conscious products from some of my favorite shops that were cozy and comfortable but had a little something extra. You may have seen that I included a similar silk scarf in my post on the perfect fall day as well. I’ve been so lazy with fashion lately. Fall is usually the time where I step things up because I love, love layering and scarves are my favorite accessories (either handmade by me or with pretty patterns). But besides a couple inspired outfits, I’ve just gone with essentially what I wore on Halloween: a flannel + leggings or denim cutoffs, minus the grunge makeup. It works especially well that my hair has it out against me right now. Just go with me here. Anyway, a crew neck sweater, headband, and a touch of sequins? Glam enough for me this fall.
Where have you been shopping for fall lately?
October, briefly, and Pacific Northwest portraits
There were a few things, big and small, at play in this shoot. I’ll just list them here: 1) Having been in Seattle for a month, wanting to appreciate a quintessentially Northwest setting before boarding the flight home, 2) Never ceasing to think of my grandmother who had passed almost exactly two months prior, and recently having spent time with my mom, who gifted me Gramma’s wedding band to wear around my neck (I bought a gold chain and feather charm to go along with it shortly after). I wanted to honor her, but have been having trouble doing so in words., 3) Having recently purchased this dress as an impulse buy on a day I wandered downtown alone, feeling a strange, familiar blend of happy and hopeless. Lastly, I wanted to be able to play around with Lightroom + VSCO, and I often find that portraits lend themselves best to experimentation. I didn’t intend on the botanical gardens being the setting for this mixture of objectives, but on a chilled, rainy day, we were the only ones there, and wrapped up this little session in under thirty minutes. I was a fool in my dress, but now I’m happy I braved the cold in order to allow the photographs to tell my story, rather than words, just this once. [Read more…] about October, briefly, and Pacific Northwest portraits
How to make the most of a burst of inspiration
I’ve been making the big, horrible mistake as a writer and creative person lately of only creating when inspiration strikes. It’s the worst and I know I’m not doing myself any favors. I’ve been stuck in a rut with all that’s going on personally, not to mention the work {that I get paid for} has been kind of zapping me of creativity. Deep down I know that one doesn’t run out of creativity, and the more you create the more ideas you have, but sometimes it feels like that! But. While I deal with these changes and get back to life in LA, I am also easing myself back into the things I love: journaling, crafting, taking pictures. Slow and steady. Being so busy and unorganized, inspiration strikes at odd times, which to some extent is how it always is. The past couple weeks I’ve been taking advantage of it by stopping what I’m doing to soak up the inspiration and really dedicate myself to it at that given time. This isn’t to say we should wait around until it happens, but when it does, we can train ourselves to take full advantage of creative moments: [Read more…] about How to make the most of a burst of inspiration
5 ways to have the perfect fall day
The more I read (and write) about self care and the importance of doing you when you need to, it seems, the less I take care of myself. I can write about it all day, and I can even put off those anxiety-inducing projects in the name of “needing time” (which only makes it worse, I admit), but taking actual steps to incorporate regular self care (and just plain happiness) into my day is quite a lot harder than it seems. In coming across a lot of cozy fall wonderfulness that I totally want to indulge in this season (and in working on Moorea Seal’s 52 Lists Projects which really opened my eyes to the simple things I don’t spend nearly enough time enjoying), I decided to put together a few ideas for treating yourself this fall. I hope you’ll pick one (or 5) and go for it! [Read more…] about 5 ways to have the perfect fall day
Photo diary: my favorite things are the simple things
I briefly touched on my desire to blog in a way that sometimes reads like a journal yet also offers something to the reader, in my post on The Blog Market this week. I hope you were inspired by Julie’s story in the feature I published on Monday (if you missed it, it’s here). As always, I jump from one theme, style, topic, thought to another. Today, it’s on all of the simple things that bring me joy, that I too often walk right past, instead of letting wash over me. My hope: that you’ll fill in the blanks with our own favorite things and refer to them whenever necessary (it is always necessary). [Read more…] about Photo diary: my favorite things are the simple things
