[on simplifying]

it’s been awhile since i really posted regularly here…non-deliberately, i have been busy.  i will say, there have been quite a few things floating around in my head and building momentum over the past couple years, and this little break has given me an opportunity to sit back and think a bit more about this blog, digital culture, my identity as a creative individual, and the importance of how i spend my time.  here’s what’s been on my mind:

1. my career fulfills me and has grown into an important creative outlet.  i started blogging following grad school, needing a new creative outlet once i wasn’t spending all day in design studio.  years (and several blog iterations) later, i am incredibly fortunate i have a job that i absolutely enjoy going to in the mornings, working for a brand that i find exciting, supporting a lifestyle i find relevant, and surrounded by people that i find engaging.  as my role has grown more creative and open, the lines between work and play have blurred into one lifestyle.  i’m finding less of  a need to spend so much of my “free time” on the internet seeking inspiration as i once did.  more real and authentic sources of inspiration for me have become travel, food, reading, researching, creating, etc…each weaving their way into my personal and professional lives with a natural ease.

2. i am burdened by internet noise.  honestly- with pinterest, instagram, twitter, blogs- it is easy to be over-stimulated and even over-inspired.  filtering through all the imagery and points of input i am faced with every day has felt forced-  there is simply too much disposable media, being consumed with too little thought.  for my own blog i’ve decided i’d rather post infrequently, and have this space be filled with images and ideas that are authentic to my personal aesthetic and point of view.  more and more, i believe the rapid manner in which we now consume media in our culture is unhealthy and unsustainable- i want to support a more simple, calming, and real internet experience.  quality over quantity as they say.

3. preparing for our baby has led me to be a better editor and prioritize spending time doing things i love.   the months leading up to our daughter’s arrival were a wonderful, peaceful period for us.  after sharing all of this personal time with matt during the pregnancy, i feel better connected to him and our relationship is stronger.  we spent an incredible amount of time preparing our home, finishing up projects, editing unnecessary possessions, and making room for a new personality to grow under our roof.   for the first time i truly know what every single item in my house is- everything around us provides us either with beauty, comfort, or utility.  it seems i’ve been working on a mental “cleanse” as well-  focusing my media consumption on sources that are meaningful to me; spending time reading, painting and creating, reconnecting with my family, having real conversations.  i’ve rediscovered that i like doing/making/experiencing beautiful things, rather than looking at beautiful things online.  life is simpler this way.

4. having a baby has helped me re-focus on meaningful, simple moments and encounters. each and every thing she does holds such importance to her.  looking out the window, listening to music, taking walks around the neighborhood, reading books at night- these are meaningful moments in her day.  i want to spend more of my time on things that are of importance to the well-being and happiness of me and my family.

so, with these thoughts in my head, the new peace of mind i hold, and the time (albeit often in the middle of the night) afforded to me by staying home with the baby for a few months, i’d like to come back to this space in a way that is personally fulfilling, engaging, and simpler. what this means, i am still ruminating on.  more on that later.

[and with that ends the longest blog post i've ever written.  be kind, dear internet.]

image sources

[1]  tim frankk schmidt

[2]  (d)store

[3] unknow [via]