inspiration:sources

A couple of days after taking the plunge and starting this blog I was scrolling through Elise's archives looking for a link and I saw this post. I must have subconsciously taken it on board her "make stuff" philosophy when I was planning things out in my head. So thanks Elise. We may not share the same style but she is a constant source of inspiration for me. It only takes a sentence or two from a blog post or an instagram photo she sharesand I'm instantly inspired to go and make. She showed me that I don't have to be married or have kids to be scrapbooking, blogging, decorating, learning, trying, making and that baking bread was not something to be scared of!

Another constant source of inspiration is Ali Edwards - her blog and recently her newsletter. Ali says the things I'm thinking - that it's all ok. To just let it go. To not put unnecessary rules upon yourself. She links to great articles, not just about scrapbooking but about furthering oneself. Getting to know yourself better. About being creative. Embracing change. Strength. And I think it helps that I like her style. Her scrapbooking style, her decorating style and her photography. Her's is the first blog I skip to on my google reader. I try to save the best til last but most days I'm too impatient.

And finally in a totally different space - Katie @ Making this home. At the minute, Katie and her husband are in the process of creating a living space within an aircraft hanger. Less focus on story and more on documenting their DIY progress but this is what I love. Her blog is so genuine and real. Many of her values align with mine and  I think the DIY part helps. It reinforces that I can do these things too. I just need to get up and do it. 

This blog is only new and I'm still in the process of making peace with the idea that what I'm doing is ok, that I'm not stealing. This was one of the things that stopped me from starting this blog sooner. I felt I needed to find something completely original before I could begin. I'm  worried that I'm not giving enough credit, and that they were doing it first so I should find something else. I don't think it helps that I studied engineering at university and they were very focused on discouraging plagiarism. I was supposed to go and find my own idea. Now that I'm in the real world I'm slowly reconciling with myself that I'm not taking anything away from what these ladies are doing. That we're not pitted against one another. We won't be graded. It's not a popularity contest. Their work is no less valuable because I was inspired by one of their ideas and have molded it to make it mine. There's enough room for someone else to do their own thing, even if it's similar, in their own (very) small corner of the web.

And last but not least - Ali Edwards linked to this tumblr post by Austin Kleon today on twitter - Why I Write. It really resonated with me. 

Day thirteen:make peace with this process