Monday, February 15, 2010

Blog It Forward: What Inspires Me

I can't believe it's finally my turn to post for the "Blog it Forward" mashup, and I somehow managed to get myself sandwiched in between two pretty awesome blogs, Sweet Sassafras (who blogged on Friday), and Sycamore Street Press (who blogs tomorrow)! It's been pretty amazing to read all the inspirational posts so far, and it's definitely a nice way to start the day, so without further ado here is what inspires me. 


For me, inspiration comes in spurts. It's not a steady stream of consciousness running in the back of my head. It's not dependable, and I can't call upon it whenever I need a little extra push. It's like lightning. It strikes at random and without much warning, and it leaves my senses tingling. It excites me, and moves me, and fills me up so much I feel like I could burst. But just as quickly as it comes, it also then sadly slips away, and I question when the next wave of inspiration will hit. I am not an artist. I am not focussed. My mind wanders, and with it so does my creativity. I dabble here, and I dabble there. But each time I express this creative side of myself I allow my mind to grow just a little bit more. Creativity is my love... my passion. The things that inspire me weave in and out of my life, touching my soul, allowing me to expand my creative canvas, and leaving me fulfilled and content. There is not just one thing that inspires me, and there is not just one part of my soul that is affected. With each strike of my inspirational lightning a different part of my being is awakened, and allowed a chance to take flight.

  • I am inspired and fascinated by the ever changing beauty of the ocean. The sand surrounds me in a comforting blanket, while the music of the water sets me free and let's me get lost in the moment. Together they wash away my worries, and cleanse my soul. 
  • Nothing is more perfect or inspiring then natural light. The way the sun (or even the moon) can dance across a surface, and play with the air, makes me strive to stretch my creativity in order to capture it, and its essence. 
  • My pets inspire me to pursue my love of photography. Even though animals can not talk and can not smile, they can love. They can love unconditionally, and without expectations, and my camera allows me to capture this love. 
  • My mom, my Mummy, inspires me in ways I can not even express. She continually offers me never ending love and support, and is truly my best friend. She is always there for me when I need her, whether it is to celebrate in joy and happiness, or it is to pick up the pieces of my broken heart, and attempt to mend them back together. She is always inspiring me to be a better version of myself. 
  • With his Top Chef worthy skills and passion, my dad inspires me to cook... when nobody is looking. He inspires me to stretch my DIY wings, and allows me to explore my every artistic whim and fancy. He influences my passions in ways that he doesn't even know, or realize. 
  • Project Runway inspires me to whip out my sewing machine. It only takes me viewing one episode for me to think that I can be the next sewing genius... forget what a whole marathon can do to me! Sewing aside though, and this show is forever inspiring me to whip up something fun and crafty.
  • The kiddos in my life (not my own... I was a nanny) are a constant reminder to me at how quickly time passes. They inspire me to enjoy all the small things in life, stopping every now and again to take it all in, and allowing my heart to fill up with love. {In addition to the kiddos, my friend Wendy is also very good at inspiring me to have this same attitude, and her words always make such a lovely lasting impression on me.} 
  • The people I care about inspire me to write, by fueling the emotions that allow my words to come to life with such passion and meaning.
Inspiration is different for everyone, and even though many of us are inspired by the same types of things, it is the way that we each personally see them that makes them unique, and makes them special to us. Now in the spirit of the mashup, and the blogging community, please be sure to check out the other wonderful posts that will be inspiring the blogosphere today (A Diary of Lovely, Bread of Many, Darcy Rogers, Green Chair Studio, La Dolce Vita, Mocking Bird, Paper and Thread, Seek & Find Design and The Yellow House in The U), and don't forget to check out Sycamore Street Press when she blogs it forward tomorrow! AND I also just want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone for stopping by today, and for reading about what inspires me. I hope you all have a lovely and inspiration filled day!!

19 comments:

Helena - A Diary of Lovely said...

Fantastic, trully inspiring

Ashley said...

Aw you posted some great pictures!

Monna said...

This is a lovely, thoughtful post. I really like that you chose to use all of your own images.

Anonymous said...

Your photos are gorgeous and I love your description of natural light which is always a huge inspiration, photographicaly speaking, for me as well.
Much admiration and love,
your blog buddy

Wendy (Give Love Create Happiness) said...

That brought a tear to my eye. I really wish I could find the words to let you know how touched I am! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means the world to me that what I write is meaningful to you. I am so lucky to know you, and feel inspired by your eye for all things beautiful. Seeing beauty in the world through your eyes truly makes me happy! Thank you for all the love you put out there.

Sonya McCllough Lockridge said...

I really-really, like, love the lead in story....

M and E said...

I am a Project Runway junkie too. I even liked last season, as boring as it was! Thanks for sharing your inspirations with us!

Jen said...

Great post, Vic! I love the photos!

alexandra said...

i enjoyed your musings on inspiration in the opening- i too am inspired in spurts, all together those bursts of creativity build to drive us to what is next.

beautiful photos too!

Vic said...

Thank you so much everyone for the amazingly kind, and supportive comments! They mean so much to me, and I am so appreciative of the fact that you all stopped by today.

Arcadia said...

I'm addicted to Top Chef and Project Runway too. Thank God this season of PR is a lot better than last season!

Unknown said...

Beautifully said! Creativity & inspiration do ebb and flow, and I want to remember to both soak in and revel in it while it is there, and also to allow it to ebb away gracefully, knowing it will return!

Jessica Nichols said...

I absolutely love that you worked so hard to use all of your own photos for this post. They were lovely and I enjoyed them immensely knowing how much you put into it. I love how you described the erratic nature and sensations of being inspired. I'm so with you on natural light and the ocean as sources of inspiration. Beautiful!

Amanda Brown said...

Great inspirations. I would have to agree with a lot of them. Thanks for sharing.

Heaven said...

charming. beautifully written. sums up what I wanted to say in words but stumbled with...You are quite a talent. Thank you for sharing and inspiring us! : )

allthingsami said...

this is a really sweet post! thanks for the inspiration. charming blog as well. . .

Anonymous said...

YOU inspire me to be a better Mummy every day. You wrote everything so beautifully. It brought tears to my eyes. I love you so much and I am so proud of the beautiful young woman you are.
xxoo

Marisa Seguin said...

Yay a fellow button lover! I'm playing blog-it-forward catch-up. Oh man, do those whoopie pies look incredible!

P.S. Love your header

Amy / Handmade Evolution said...

so fun reading how inspiration works for you - it's much the same for me... then i run for my trusty notebook and excitedly write down each bit of inspiration before the rush of ideas leaves me and i'm returned to the mundane, day to day world!

thanks so much for having the great idea for this mashup. i'm just working on my post right now... loving it!

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