Five Things That Inspire My Creativity

1. The Early Morning Walk

Studies have found that walking improves creativity, and I can attest to that. As often as I can, I wake up early and walk for two hours starting at 7am on Saturday mornings before everyone is out. Where do I go? It doesn’t matter, that’s never the objective. It’s an extremely peaceful, quiet time that allows my mind to wander into new creative territories without any distractions or worries about my to-do list. Given the amount of content overload we face every day, it’s such a simple way to decompress and uncover fresh thinking that can get buried in the 9-5 hustle. 

2. Traveling

My design inspiration comes from numerous online resources, but it’s even better to experience different cultures. When I travel, I always go somewhere new so that I can log everything in my memory and on the blog, curating my own personal library of imagery and thoughts. 

Each trip has stimulating elements like original color palettes, music, architecture and history.There are numerous ways to interpret my travels into the creative work I do. For example, I recently took a short trip to Portland, Maine where I unexpectedly discovered beautiful typographic treatments on the buildings – which influenced mood boards that I developed for a project.

3. iPhone Notes

The greatest of ideas sometimes arrive at the strangest of times, and if I don’t capture them quickly, they might get lost in the mass of information circulating in my hard-working mind. Since I am never without my iPhone, it’s the easiest way to quickly type out anything that is a great idea in the moment. My thoughts can be captured in a word, sentence, paragraph, or even a feeling I want to remember. Whether it’s during a walk, when I wake up from a dream, or after a conversation with a friend – it’s the best way to ensure my insights are accounted for.

Find an accurate transcript (and subtitles in 46 languages) on ted.com: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius/transcript?language=en "Eat, Pray, Love" author Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius.

4. The People

I learn so much from brainstorms and conversations with colleagues and friends. I believe that something as simple as daily banter can inspire an entire campaign idea – if you are listening close enough. A favorite quote of mine is: “I don’t know exactly where ideas come from. It’s just a matter of us figuring out how to receive the ideas waiting to be heard.” 

You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. I surround myself with inspiring, positive and creative people to keep me motivated, and that includes following mentors on social media, binge-watching Ted Talks and tapping into the minds of people from many different backgrounds at work. In such a competitive industry, it’s beneficial to get inspired by those who have achieved greatness. It just pushes me harder to find my own version of success.  

5. Live Tweeting

If you've never live tweeted in your life, you must. There's a certain rush that comes along with the experience. I've live tweeted the past four seasons of #TheBachelor/#TheBachelorette, and it's a really great way to challenge your linguistic creativity. Coming up with something witty and original in 140 characters on the fly can feel overwhelming, but what comes out can be such brilliance, rewarded with stars like your math homework in second grade! I've even been retweeted by D-list celebrities! Ah, the glory that comes with it all! And sometimes (a lot of times...) my tweets bomb. Either way, it's a great exercise and I get to read so many amazing one liners from fellow live tweeters that inspire how I write and think. 

I hope this was helpful! What inspires you? Please share!

Travel Guide to Portland, Maine

After traversing the West Coast this past summer, Chris and I decided to pay the East Coast a little visit for what I thought was just his birthday celebration (turns out we also got engaged!). New York is usually the obvious choice, but since I've been there multiple times, going somewhere new (my new travel rule) felt like the right thing to do. With an expired passport and most of the U.S. already covered, we set our sights on Portland, Maine knowing little to nothing about the culture. And now, this city now holds a very special place in my heart.

For a short trip, this could not have been any more perfect. Portland is a small, lively city with a rich design and food culture. It also offers day trip options to amazing places like Acadia National Park for a good nature fix. Our trip was dedicated to trying everything we could get our grubby little hands on, and we made it a point to do so. So let's start with our focus: the food.

On our food crawls, Chris and I experienced 3-4 restaurants per day. Yes, that's correct - we indulged, guys. BIG TIME. And it was worth it. We carefully planned our order selections so that we could try as much as possible. And now we can tell you all about it!

Our first stop was at Duckfat to kick us off, so we only ordered a small bowl of the smoked duck breast and kale, as well as the poutine to save stomach space. Both were amazing and it was our first taste of Portland, which signified the greatness to come. Not only was the food great, but the branding of the restaurant was perfectly exectuted – emphasizing this gem of a design culture.

One of the highlights of our trip was an unbelievably tasty brown butter lobster roll that will rock your world and cause you to second guess why you ever ate anything else in life. This small roll might make you wake up crying in the middle of a lobster roll induced dream, wishing you had one (or two) sitting on your nightstand in that moment to throw back into your gullet. It will literally make you sit back in your chair at Eventide Oyster Co. and wonder what you did right in life to deserve such a treat. We went back a second time over the course of our stay to have another and savor every bite. It's not only about the lobster roll, everything here is simply delicious – an absolute MUST!

We also greatly enjoyed Fore Street for their wine selection and dessert. We stopped in at the end of the night for one last bite and sip. A posh, dim lit lounge area sits next to the dining room and makes for a great going out, or night cap, ambience.

A final favorite spot is Central Provisions. You can't make reservations, but we only waited about twenty minutes for a table and ordered around (oops!) ten small plates from the menu. This particular night we celebrated Chris's birthday and our engagement – the champagne was flowin' and the small plates were pilin' up. A standout dish was the suckling pig, but everything was delicious and their craft cocktails are very thoughtfully mastered. 

If your sweet tooth is calling, The Standard Baking Co, which lives below Fore Street, has an excellent selection of pastries. We stopped in for morning coffee and a croissant to find ourselves sitting on their outdoor patio, soaking in the quiet morning hours.

I also fell in love with a few Portland brands that gained my Instagram following: Portland Dry Goods and KCollette. Portland Dry goods carries quality brands and unique pieces. Though pricey, if you find something you love it's worth it! KCollette has a curated collection that's authentic and celebrates the story and craft of each artisan. I wanted everything in there, and it was a pleasure to browse.

Since Acadia National Park was a little too far for our short trip, we did a day trip to Camden where we had brunch, went antique shopping, and drove up Mount Battie, which overlooks the bay and town. Traveling to Portland in early October is the perfect time to see hints of fall arriving in shades of red and yellow, giving the feelies that Fall often gives – happiness and contentment.

Portland was an incredible choice for a four day weekend trip. Great food, an impressive design culture, and kind people. Plus, it's a smaller city so it's very simple to navigate. I highly recommend and have so many more amazing ideas to share if you are curious. Thanks for reading!

Our Engagement Story

Hey everyone, I'm engaged! Yes, this monumental day has arrived, and it did so just perfectly. On a day trip to Two Lights State Park while vacationing in Maine, Chris tricked me into taking multiple pictures of the scenery to get "the perspective right". When I turned around to show him what I'd photographed, he was on one knee, ring in hand, asking me to spend my life with him. The moment was unexpected, surreal and overwhelming with love. Every girl dreams of this day, and there it was, right in front of me – as genuine and heart felt as I could've ever imagined. I said yes, of course...and just like that our beautiful life together became even more beautiful.

It had occurred to me after, that this truly was a special place to be engaged. Lighthouses symbolize spiritual strength and emotional guidance. As I said "yes" in between the two of them at Two Lights, I couldn't help but feel so safe and happy wrapped up in a metaphor that so thoroughly describes our relationship. We stood there on the rocks as what we've always been – a team of two lights, ready to guide each other through everything that life has coming our way.

Our hearts are so full of love, and we're deeply embracing this very special time in our lives. So happy to share with all of you.

Final U.S. Road Trip Destination: Salt Flats in Utah

Our final destination was the Salt Flats in Utah, and it was incredible. It's difficult to comprehend that this vastness of white space is made up entirely of salt! When we arrived there was a camera crew present, not sure what they were filming but it makes sense. The flats are the perfect blank canvas for any shoot.  

Chris had a blast doing donuts in the salt while I videoed his little adventure. After all, the flats are known for land speed records, so why not!

There's not a lot to this other than the beauty of simplicity and the wonder it brings to your eyes. The blurred out mountains in the background are a nice touch as well, adding just the right detail to complete a nicely joined minimalistic composition. If you wanna get crazy and venture to Bolivia, Salar De Uyuni is another salt flat that's INSANE!

And that my friends, is the end of our road trip journey. The end to my freedom from corporate America, the end to car snacks, endless sunshine, adventure and optimal levels of happiness. Sigh...

Thanks for reading along, hope you were able to take away some inspiration for future vacations....and back to the grind. Have a great week!

U.S. Road Trip Destination 7: The Redwoods

Being straightforward with all of you, I admittedly had a little wine hangover from Napa when we arrived at Redwood National Park. The wine may have caused a headache, but it didn't distract from all of the beauty in front of us. For those of you who haven't been or aren't sure what the redwoods are, they are known to be the tallest trees on earth! Giants if you will. Guinness book of world records winning bragging right champions. Awesome freaks of nature. They make you feel so small in their enormous branches.

As massive statement pieces of earth that feel prehistoric and Jurassic Park-like, they mean business and you should feel lucky to be in their presence. Pretending I was Dr. Ellie Sattler for a hot minute, I secretly wanted Chris to unexpectedly peek out from behind a fern and say "clever girl.." but a girl can't have everything.

We didn't do much other than a lot of ooohing and ahhhing, particularly at the fallen tree trunks that revealed their crazy roots! Every piece to the redwood puzzle was visually appealing and an unexpected surprise. It was a quick stop, but a memory that will last forever. Stay tuned for our final destination! 

Hope you're having a great day!