writing & inspiration

How to make the most of a burst of inspiration

November 4, 2015 by Angela

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

Photo diary: my favorite things are the simple things

October 14, 2015 by Angela

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

twenty things to write about this month // 3

October 1, 2015 by Angela

October got off to a rocky start with me struggling to process so many horrific things on the news and us having to deal with some issues back in LA, but it’s a new week and Monday has (let’s not jinx it now) gotten off to a surprisingly lovely start. Did anyone work on the writing ideas I blogged about over the summer? Last time I posted, it was all about creative nonfiction. I didn’t go with a specific theme, but this month I wanted more of them to go with the season. I just started Moorea Seal’s 52 Lists Project so fall is on my mind even more so. My goal this month is to pick back up with journaling, so these twenty things to write about will have a home there: [Read more…] about twenty things to write about this month // 3

Find if found, make. in the Autumn 2015 issue of Artful Blogging!

August 3, 2015 by Angela

I’ve been smitten with Artful Blogging for a long time and was delighted when their editors reached out for a feature in print. If you pick up the Autumn 2015 issue of Artful Blogging, you’ll find if found, make. among a group of incredibly beautiful blogs (with seriously stunning photography) + stories from the writers/curators/artists behind them. [Read more…] about Find if found, make. in the Autumn 2015 issue of Artful Blogging!

How to convince yourself you can’t

July 15, 2015 by Angela

Sometimes we can identify problems long before we have a grasp on their solutions. Sometimes we have a vague notion of those solutions–find motivation, find inspiration–yet action alludes us. Maybe it’s time to focus on the problems, not solutions. There are so many solutions floating around, it’s hard to catch them. So, a manifesto for knowing these facts yet fighting action, preserving inaction, convincing yourself once and for all that you can’t move forward with x, y, or z–