What Inspires Emily
I think the beauty of inspiration is that it doesn’t have to come from one particular thing or person. Inspiration can be words, sounds, photographs, experiences, memories, people, places, and so on. We’re all surrounded by inspiration daily and whatever “it” is that inspires you, is different for everyone.
Trying to nail down one thing that inspires me is the most complicated task I’ve attempted to take on today. I think I have two main sources of inspiration: things that I don’t see or experience every day and things that I am surrounded by on a regular basis.
Unique parts of life draw my attention quicker than ordinary things do. I’m convinced that’s true for all visual people. For example, I pick up on fun flooring and interesting installation methods before I pick up on your typical white subway tile. Bold color combinations draw my eye before a monochromatic color scheme will. Don’t get me wrong. I love simple details as much as anyone, but the unexpected always gets my wheels turning. I want to know what thought process brought the designer to their final ideas and how they thought of the design in the first place. What was their inspiration?
Isn’t is fascinating that our inspirations are often the product of someone else’s inspiration?
Travel is a huge part of what inspires me. How can one travel and not be inspired? I’ve been lucky enough to visit several countries in our wonderful world and it’s an awesome reminder of how many great minds live here. It’s unbelievable that there are so many types of food that we haven’t tried, so many works of art that we haven’t seen and so many interesting people that we haven’t met. And it’s all at our fingertips (well, within a few hundred or so miles).
One of my favorite places that I’ve been so far is Italy. I can’t choose one city in Italy because all of the ones I’ve experienced are so beautiful in their own way. In each place the architecture was breathtaking, the food was to die for and the people were so friendly. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
On a totally different side of the spectrum, simple things and people that I’m surrounded by daily inspire me as well. There’s nothing better than being around people who you know and love. Though I don’t live in the same town as my family anymore, I’m lucky to have some of them within a few hours driving distance. My friends keep me laughing from near and far, and my BSD team is the most inspiring group of gals around. #blessed doesn’t even cover it.
Lastly, I think that part of being inspired is maintaining a happy and optimistic mind and outlook. Beautiful minds inspire others.
XO, Emily