Inspiration.

I'm an artist, like many of you other readers out there and as a creative type I hunt down inspiration for whatever I may be doing. This may be in reading other blogs and seeing your ideas and projects, reading magazines or going shopping. Being created as an artistic person I like to express that in almost anything I do-why do something ho-hum when you can make it something to.die.for.?

My main creative outlets are:

Decorating homes.
Cooking-specifically finding challenging dishes, delicious gourmet meals to create {and yes, I'm normal too, we still eat mac'n'cheese and hot dogs quite often} as many times a week that time will allow and the budget can afford :)
Drawing.
Creating different fonts for words and lettering-yes, I am that big of a dork, but I love doing this!
Writing and blogging.
Baking.
Photography.
Cake and cupcake decorating.
Making music-singing, playing guitar, learning new instruments.
Dressing myself/fashion.
How I style my hair and makeup.


However, today I wanted to share how I get inspired for whatever I may be working on next {a new dish, a new piece of artwork, decorating a room}.

{Magazines}

Here is their current issue on stands now. Being born and raised in North Carolina, I'm a southern girl through and through. With that said, this publication keeps me rooted in all things of the South. I love the recipes, the southern homes-because one thing I have learned is that homes in the south are very unique in their architecture, character and details and I love them all. I read this magazine every month anticipating great decorating ideas, discovering new towns and restaurants to visit and recipes to make.

 

 

This is such a wonderful magazine. The first issue I read I was challenged to make so many yummy foods and I learned so many practical things like the proper way to dice an onion and how to take a chicken apart properly. You know how you read in cookbooks to do add 2 cups diced onion and then when it comes down to dicing it you're like, What do I do with this round thing that won't stay still? Don't worry, I've nearly lost a few digits myself. But this magazine not only is chef worthy, but is the bible for new cooks since it teaches you practical lessons. Or just regular home cooks like me who need to know these things. It's like cooking school for $3 a month. Score!

Clothing, jewelry, bags, shoes, accessories, makeup, hair, this is a creative explosion! Seeing how different fabrics move or how to pair something really rugged with something glamorous gets my gears working not just for my own outfit choices, but this REALLY inspires me on how to design my home!

{Stores}

Pottery Barn...who doesn't love this place? I pour over each catalog I get because I'm not just inspired by some of their items, but more so it is how they stage their products like this office above. Take a look at all those little details. That is creative genius right there.

Here is a picture of the latest J.Crew catalog in a feature they call Jenna's Picks. The creative director for J.Crew, Jenna Lyons {who's home was featured in the now sadly gone Domino magazine} picks her favorite pieces of the latest collection and I must say: I WANT TO RAID HER CLOSET! My style couldn't match her's more perfectly. The tomboy meets girlie glamor is Heather Ritchie from head to toe. I dress like this most days, a girlie top with glitter or flowers on it and a leather motorcyle jacket, dark skinny jeans or maybe some ripped up ones, with shiny silver ballet flats and a huge statement necklace and ridiculously sized ring. Perfection.

Now, I love Pottery Barn, but if I had endless amounts of money, I could decorate my house from top to bottom from Ballard Designs-but I wouldn't because I like a challenge. However, I have been oohing and ahhing over the Le Poeme rug for a few months now and I think I will be saving my pennies for one of these babies. This company's products fits hand in hand with the southern style I was speaking of earlier. Every little detail is paid attention to and that is why it inspires me so much.

 I love this store so much. Whenever I walk into one my creative energy feels like a thousand buzzing bees that are suddenly trapped in my head, my chest, my hands. I have to touch everything in front of me to feel it's weight, texture, material. Every store is decorated completely different and is an artist's playground! My friend, Nancy Ray, is even more in love with this place than myself and she just did a whole post on the store! Not to mention, I LOVE their logo...actually, I'm quite obsessed over it. Once again is my tendency to mix something rough {the bold, staunchy lettering} with something feminine {the pretty swirly designs}.

In one word, Z Gallerie is: BOLD. If I want something that will make a statement in my house all I need to do is stop by this store and just pick one thing and it will liven up any room. I tend to buzz around these stores as well, much like Anthropologie because there is so much to see! 

 

{Fashion}

 

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Rachel Zoe is a huge inspiration for me. I watch every episode of The Rachel Zoe Project and always feel creatively energized like I did after a great studio art class in college. For normal people like us, that outfit is so loud and not what we would wear everyday-but she does. I do not wish to dress the way she does, even though I like a lot of her items, I like to watch the creative process in her studio when she is dressing a client or herself. It's like watching a great artist like Caravaggio, working in his studio and seeing everything he works through to get to the one masterpiece. 

 

In case you don't know, Rachel Zoe is the number one stylist to all the biggest stars. She picks out every little thing for their award shows, premieres, parties, you name it. I don't agree with everything she says, or does, but I watch this show and it makes me NOT want to follow whatever is in fashion and rather, inspires me to dress and style myself however I feel like at that exact moment. Which is truly being yourself. I always want to be who God created me to be even down to the most mundane moments in my life and for whatever reason, watching the Rachel Zoe Project pushes me to do just that. Go figure!

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Weddings!! Wedding dresses, cakes, receptions, decorations, details, photography. I love it all and I religiously read wedding magazines even though I've been married for 4 years.

 

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Cupcakes and the really amazing cakes you see on TV always wow me. These are from my favorite cupcake shop ever, Sweet Revenge in NYC. I love how she doesn't use ordinary cupcake wrappers but got creative and uses squares of parchment paper to pour the batter into and her little cakes come out looking so unique. She is also known for the little cupcake mohawks she puts on top of them all. Rebel cupcakes...watch out! 

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That hair! Wavy, beachy, blonde, messy, imperfect hair. I love this! This is how I liked it a lot when I was in high school and I have been doing it again a lot for the past year and a half. I think I feel most like me when I do my hair like this {it also helps that it pretty much does this look when it air-dries...thanks, God!} Pretty hair styles give me good ideas but I always get excited when I see hair like this on ladies.

So, I know that was A LOT of inspiration for one day, and believe me, I could go on and on. But I'll save you the agony ;). I just think it's important for people who like to create to always know how to get their creative ideas flowing again when they get stuck and frustrated. I'm very interested in how other artists create, so if you would, share with me how you stay inspired to do whatever it is that you do!