In the past few weeks I've had the privilege of creating design boards for a few of my clients. In doing this I've realized how much the process of gathering inspiration, organizing it, piecing out details and finally presenting it to my clients truly does fire me up! Each stage has been so much fun for me. Color palettes, big blooming florals, perfect paper products... be still my little wedding planner heart.
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I wanted to chat a little bit about where I find inspiration. Obviously Pinterest is great. I know for a fact I'm not the only one who spends hours browsing through boards and organizing images to my liking. I'm also a pretty big fan of tumblr, which is where I save images that I'm going to use for this blog. Of course, there are other blogs out there that are regular reads. From fellow event planners & designers to Once Wed, 100 Layer Cake, Style Me Pretty and you name it, I check them almost daily. Photographers are a great source of inspiration for my work too. Rylee Hitchner, Jose Villa, & Tec Petaja are easily my top three.
Most of the time, though- I need to get offline to find authentic inspiration. I get inspired when my husband and I take time for dates- away from our iPhones and other distractions. Relationships fire me up. Real conversation spurs real creativity.
I like books and magazines that I can hold in my hands. Exercise clears my mind, especially when I'm outside. A good hike in the woods does wonders for my creativity muscle. Relaxing is vital for me, especially when I take the time to do it right. A bubble bath and a good night's rest leaves me restored for the next day. And everyone knows that the best ideas are concocted in the shower!
Stories inspire me to get inspired. I love hearing love stories. I like telling my own. More often than not, clients inspire me with their own ideas.
Flowers get me fired up. The colors, textures and endless arrangements and opportunities. I also enjoy grocery shopping, my favorite is Oryana (our local co-op) or the farmers market in the summer. Picking and choosing fruits, vegetables and flowers season to season is a blast for me. (Note to self... peonies are coming soon!)
So essentially that's the first stage. Meeting with clients, hearing their ideas, getting out and about in the world to gather authentic inspiration. Once I do that it's easier to refine my ideas and source images to put together a cohesive design board, that's where pinterest comes into play for me. How do you do things? Where do you find your best sources of inspiration?
xoxo
Rachel
Um, are you sure I didn't write this? I felt like I was reading my same words! I feel the exact same way about relationships, and I can't wait for our very real conversation on Monday!
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Agreed!! I'm a wedding and lifestyle photographer, and I absolutely pull my deepest inspiration from the unplugged relationship time I have - from my husband, to my friends and time with my neice and nephews. I have other photographers, blogs and, of course, Pinterest that absolutely feed my creative "bank" as well but I always feel the most fresh and revived behind my camera after relational time. It's why I love builidng relationships with my clients because it feeds me while I'm shooting them!
ReplyDeleteSuch a good point! I love what you said about building relationships with your clients, and I feel the same way. After we've been working together for 6+ months it's such a joy to work with them on their wedding day! I feel like we're best buds by that point and it totally makes me give my best self. :)
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