Are you remembering to rest? ;)
As a creative, it’s easy to be so filled with ideas and inspiration that it’s go, go, go all of the time.
But it’s good to be intentional about resting, too. So, with that said, I’m off to read the Word. I might be back a little later for just a few minutes to share a verse or two with you… But other than that, I’ll be RESTING. ;)
With all of my talk about my new focus, I thought it might be a good idea to share with you what an inspired life means to me. :)
To me, inspired living is:
Bold. Bright. Beautiful. Full of whimsy, charm, sparkle, and creativity. Celebrating your story. Having a thankful heart. Finding joy in all seasons. Being who you are, loving who are you, and doing what you love. Having big faith. Taking risks. Trusting. Finding new adventures. Making every moment count. Always growing. And always hoping.
You may remember this Note to Self I posted a few months ago. I think we could all use more of these little reminders, so I’m hoping to post them as frequently as I can.
Lately, I’ve been battling a bit with self-doubt, as I continue to discover and refine my style/voice as an artist and blogger. (I wrote a bit about that in my Rebranding post.)
I think that self-doubt can be a natural part of the learning and growing process that every creative faces, BUT even when we’re looking self-doubt right in the face, I think it’s good to stay grounded in who you are and have faith and confidence in being who you were created to be.
At this point, I’m not sure if these Note to Self posts will be daily, weekly, or just every so often, but I look forward to sharing what’s on my heart, in the hopes that you’ll find some encouragement in these little notes, too.
I hope your Monday’s been blessed.
:)
While I’m still fleshing out some of the details for my new features, I couldn’t resist a short update to give you all a little hint at what’s ahead.
Art love, music love, book love, etc.! I’ll share posts about artists I’m admiring, as well as peeks into my own creative process. I’ll share books I’m reading, quotes I’m loving, music I’m listening to, and what’s currently inspiring my own creative process (similar to what I did here).
I look forward to continued posts about my faith. This series will be an honest look at what I’m reading in scripture, what I feel God is telling me/teaching me, and what I’m doing to keep growing ever closer to Him.
A series all about adventuring and exploring! I’ll highlight places and spaces in my own city, as well as out-of-town adventures. :) Getting out and about can be so refreshing, so I’m looking forward to including this as a regular feature on A Place to Dwell. I’ll share tips for finding new places to explore in your own city, as well as how you can use these out-and-about adventures to inspire you and your life in lots of ways!
Look for posts about home décor, cooking + baking (on occasion) ;), celebrating the seasons, and creating traditions that help you make the most of every day. :)
Occasional outfit postings, seasonal wish lists + loves, style crushes, and more!
* * *
Can’t wait to keep developing these and share more with you all soon!
Happy Friday! :)
Hello, friends!
I’m excited to share a blog update with you all. In the past week or so, I’ve been doing some thinking regarding the main focus of A Place to Dwell. I wanted to really hash out the blog’s identity and purpose, so I could better plan content going forward.
And guess what?! I’m here to reveal that new focus with you now!
A Place to Dwell will still house lovely little things + possibilities, as it always has, but from now on, the main focus will be on living an inspired life, and all content will be created with this mission in mind.
Because I have so much passion for living life fully and creatively, I know this slight refinement is just right for A Place to Dwell, and I’m excited to develop content that keeps this mission at its core.
I’m in the process of developing a bunch of new features that I will share with you soon. So, stay tuned for announcements about those! ;)
In the meantime, thanks for reading and being a part of my little blog community. I so appreciate each one of you.
P.S. How AMAZING is that photo by Max Wanger? I’m super inspired by his photography lately. I’ll be back with a post sometime soon that shares more of his beautiful work.
Here’s another moodboard I made for eBook/blog color palette purposes. I fell in love with this photo from Seed Factory and the little quote at the bottom of her photo that says: “I just need some time in a beautiful place to clear my head.” I think weekends are perfect for doing just that. I like to make sure to carve out a little bit of time each weekend to surround myself with what inspires me, appreciate the beauty of the moment, and take some time to clear my head from the clutter that may have ended up there after a hectic week.
Making moodboards is proving helpful for me when it comes to discovering and defining my design style. I’m seeing consistencies develop when it comes to certain type treatments and colors.
I also love having the chance to share inspiring images and artwork I’ve found and promote other artists on my blog. There are so many talented people out there, and it makes me happy to be able to showcase some of that talent.
I hope your weekend has been beautiful + inspiring so far.
Have a blessed Sunday! :)
{k}
After being inspired by this post from Bri at Design Love Fest, I decided to spend some time looking through my Pinterest boards to create a color story for the blog (and for my eBook). It didn’t take me very long to select my favorite colors, because I tend to wear these colors, decorate with these colors, design with these colors (and obviously PIN these colors!). (In fact, they probably look a bit familiar, because they’re the colors I already use most frequently on the blog.) ;) It was still a fun and inspiring exercise. And I like creating color palettes.
What about you? What colors make you happy?
I’ve seen a variety of images on Pinterest with this saying, and they always make me smile, so I created a little “but first, coffee” image of my own.
It’s fitting for a Friday, right?
It’s been quite a whirlwind week. I’ve got LOTS of creative to-do lists filling up my brain, but it’s all exciting stuff that I can’t wait to work on.
I’ve been playing around a lot more in Photoshop and with a Wacom tablet, and I’m having fun learning more and refining my design style in preparation for my eBook. I’ve been super inspired lately, and I’m looking forward to beginning the writing process this weekend, as well as continuing to lay out plans for the photography, art, and design that will fill the book’s pages.
I’ve also been reading a bit in Hebrews this week and thinking about this verse: And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
I’ve been thinking about what it looks like to earnestly seek Him. I know I want to keep growing in that area, and with the creative craziness as of late, I haven’t been spending nearly enough time seeking.
Well, I hope you have a fantastic Friday (and that it begins with the coffee beverage of your choice!) ;)
I’ll be back this weekend with some inspiration posts and such (I’m on a moodboard-making kick right now!).
Keeping an open heart.
That idea has certainly been a focus of mine this year and something I’ve tried to be mindful of in so many ways. I know I’ve mentioned before that I feel like I’m currently in a season of waiting, preparing, and planting. I’m learning there is strength to be found in opening up your heart in the midst of the uncertainty and allowing Him to lead the way.
Trust is built. Faith increases.
And as I work on this big personal creative project of mine (writing an eBook), I find that I keep coming back to the idea of keeping an open heart and to the importance of taking risks and being brave when we don’t have everything mapped out clearly in front of us.
Honestly, at times, I feel overwhelmed and unsure about taking the creative leap to write a book. I wonder how it will all come together and if I’ll be able to communicate my unique voice and vision. I worry about all of the little details involved and having the right skills and resources to bring that vision to life.
But then I remind myself to keep my heart open to the creative process. I don’t have to have every single detail figured out right this second. It’s a process, after all. And every step of that process is important and should be enjoyed and appreciated before rushing to the next. I suppose life in general is like that, too, huh? ;)
When we live with open hearts, we can fully experience the significance and purpose of where we are, while being made ready for all the possibilities ahead.
…an e-book, that is. ;)
I’m super excited about this project and plan to share many more details here on the blog closer to its launch.
Here’s what I can share right now: I’m in the beginning phases of e-book creation, and you can expect to see it for sale right here on the blog sometime this fall. I’m creating a book that will be packed with what I’m most passionate about: inspiration — and beautiful words, artwork, and photography. (Stay tuned for a more detailed post about the content you’ll find in my ebook, as we get closer to the launch date.)
Thanks for sharing in this exciting journey with me!
{k}
a place to dwell 