Inspired By: The Water Dancer, La Vie Parisienne
As a New Year’s Resolution, I’ve re-introduced journaling into my routine. I kept journals and diaries during my teenage years, but as I’ve gotten older I find myself slipping away from that routine and only journaling sporadically. Instead of writing about my thoughts and ideas or just a recount of the day, I just wrote to-do lists and crossed tasks as I finish them.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping a planner; in fact, I recommend it. I’ve used a planner since elementary school and I find that actually writing down my tasks helps me remember them better. I am also a borderline type-A person, so my planner literally holds me together! Journaling, on the other hand, is somewhat of a “report” to a planner. It’s a way to recount and record thoughts, events of the day/week, and general musings. All of which are just as important as remembering tasks. I also find journaling to be a great way to work on my writing and sketching skills.
I’d like to think that I stay pretty active - keeping up with my favorite artists, seeing what’s new around the art scene and around the city, and reading new (and old) books. Often, I scroll through social media sites and seeing images and videos that inspire or make me laugh, or working on projects where I find the process interesting. Sometimes I find cool products, find a great recipe, or go somewhere fun. I’d love to document these little moments of inspiration and share them in a more curated way with those who might be interested.
So, without further ado, here is the first installment of Inspired By.
Good Read: The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates has been in my reading list for a long time and I finally ordered it (from my favorite independent bookstore in the ATL: A Capella Books). It’s a book about a gifted young man named Hiram, born into slavery, who goes through an intense journey in search of freedom. I read this book in about 2 days - it’s hard to put down. Coates writes in such a poetic language that really makes you feel for his characters and their families. Since finishing this book, I added Between the World and Me (Coates’s other book) to my reading list.
Other than prose, I felt inspired by this book because I learned quite a bit about the intensity that is slavery. There’s only so much that history classes in school and college teach. They teach facts, dates, and key events - but rarely do they teach about the dehumanization of slavery. And, although this book is fiction, many of the events that occurred in the book actually occurred in real life - which makes it all the more upsetting. But, it isn’t an upsetting book. If anything, it’s a story of persistence, the power of community and ally ship, and sacrifice.
Listening To: La Vie Parisienne
Like many people, I have been working from home since March 2020 and personally, I feel like I am still trying to get used to it. I have finally nailed down a routine (only took most of 2020) and am starting to enjoy the WFH lifestyle. One thing I do miss, is working around people and having the occasional “water cooler” interactions with my coworkers (I am totally one of those people…sorry not sorry). I am also one of those people with terrible taste in music who listens to the same stuff over and over and over again.
Enter: La Vie Parisienne (press play). This has been my FAVORITE work from home soundtrack. It’s fun but not distracting and makes me feel like I’m working at a cafe instead of my home office. Also, I am starting to memorize some of the lyrics which is a great coincidence, as I’m always trying to find opportunities to practice my French (I took French for all 4 years of high school and all of college, and now solely relying on Duolingo).
In the Works: New greeting cards + prints
A few weeks ago, I looked at my portfolio of products that I’ve accumulated over the last 4 (!!!) years and reviewed them. Some of the oldest cards and prints are still my favorites, while some can be archived to make room for new work. It has been a little over 12 months since I put brush to paper and designed a card, so I am excited to make some new stationery products for this year. And to start, I’ve started making digital collages of images that I find inspiring. So far, collaging has been a great exercise to warm up my design muscles and honestly, it’s just a fun thing to do!
With this particular collage, I am drawn to the soft aesthetic and pops of yellow. A color palette that I keep revisiting is a deep yellow or medium mustard color paired with muted blush, with pops of white and black every now and then. Fruits and florals are also two themes that I keep doodling in my journal - so expect to see more floral work this year.
Around the House: English Garden meets new england garden
One of the near future plans I am looking forward to this year is planning out our front and back yards. I’m especially excited about planting some hydrangea bushes (my favorite flowers) either in the front and/or back, and having some raised beds for my herb garden. We might even try our hands at planting some vegetables!
I have a special place in my heart for English gardens and New England gardens. These types of gardens tend to work well in small spaces (which, our backyard is definitely a small space) and lends well to growing edibles, too. So, I am saving inspirational images, products, and learning all I can about growing a garden. If you’re a seasoned gardener (no pun intended), feel free to share any tips you might have!