Inspirations: Your Ark of Inspiration

Last week I had the honor to meet and interact with three amazing individuals.    Lara Casey, Nick Onken and Jeff Holt are the type of artists who listen, respond and inspire – the most powerful and impacting kind there is, in my opinion.  I spent a lovely six hours soaking up their wisdom and answering their questions out loud and inside my own head.  So many clients and peers ask me, “how do you stay inspired?”, “how do you come up with so many ideas?” and so on.  It wasn’t until last week in the small room with Lara, Nick and Jeff that I began to answer these questions.

Nick and Jeff spoke at length about surrounding themselves daily with images, sounds, sites and even smells meant to heighten, excite and sustain their creativity; creating a literal Ark of Inspiration out of their daily lives.  Lara asked the question of the room “how many of you can honestly say your personal space is a reflection of who you are?”  It was at this moment I realized how my ideas evolve and perhaps the very reason for the sheer volume of new concepts constantly swirling around in my brain.  I LIVE and breathe my inspiration daily. From surrounding myself with the dramatic, vibrant colors that excite me, to spending free time traveling near and far, I am living every moment as artfully as possible.

Bulletin boards from the office of Southern Weddings.  These ladies surround themselves daily with visual bits that get them fired up.  We’re honored that one of our invitations is included!

So how does this translate into wedding planning?  You are surrounded, no wait constantly inundated with a barrage of ideas, color palettes, DIY concepts and perfectly presented, highly styled weddings on a daily basis.  How do you take this wedding noise (albeit lovely) and translate it into an event that truly speaks of you?  How do you choose the elements to invest time in creating?  How do you bring it all together?  After 2 years of planning our renewal celebrations while being immersed professionally in the wedding industry I think I may have AN answer.  Consider building yourself an Ark of Inspiration.  In addition to sitting down with a mass of blogs on your screen and magazines at your side simply start surrounding yourself with what inspires you most.   Perhaps it is a favorite color or smell, perhaps music is a great love; so play it!  Create a bulletin board of clippings and swatches, flowers and baubles to be added to and changed daily if need be and hang the board where you work or think most.   I think you will find soon, how in tune you will be with your style, what truly excites you visually and will quickly be able to make more instinctive decisions.  No longer will you need to look as much outside yourself for inspiration.  Instead the inspiration will surround you and come from within.

Love this image.  It speaks volumes.

Check back tomorrow for a look at my Ark if Inspiration and thanks again to Lara, Jess and Nick for giving this concept a name!