Spring Sun & Staying Inspired

I have to admit— I haven’t been super inspired as of late.

The pressures of running a business (mostly alone) full-time makes disconnecting, reflecting, & being creative pretty tough sometimes. I’m not complaining, because I LOVE my job & I consider myself extremely lucky, but there’s a work-your-ass-off mentality that comes with the territory.

Most of the time, that on-the-grind work ethic is necessary to keep the bills paid & the blog running.

The e-mails, phone calls, behind-the-scenes logistics, contract-signing, shoots, meetings, showroom appointments, etc. can get pretty monotonous, and it’s taken a toll on my ability to be creative.

I know I’m not alone in this. I think most of us get pretty wrapped up in the day-to-day bullshit we all have on our to-do lists. Right??

A couple of days ago, I took a day to step back from e-mails & logistics to get to the bottom of my creative block. I thought to myself: what is it that inspires me?

I quickly went to my Pinterest Quote board, as I usually do when I’m seeking inspiration. I had the urge to start writing down some of the quotes that stood out to me in a little journal I snagged from an event earlier in the day.

Then, I remembered: writing always inspires me. I feel most like myself when I’m alone, writing in a flow state, when I’m not thinking too much, and simply putting words down on paper.

I realized I haven’t been doing as much writing as I used to do on Hustle + Halcyon, even though the writing part of blogging is what drove me to this path in the first place. I’ve always enjoyed ( & been pretty good at ) connecting with other people through written words and stories, but my inability to get in the right mental space to write has discouraged me as of late.

I took my written list of my favorite quotes from Pinterest and labeled it Writing Prompts.

I’m making a vow to myself that, one day a week, I will go somewhere in Los Angeles that inspires me, whether its the beach/the mountains/a cafe on the corner, and write. It’s a mental spring cleaning of sorts.

Also, I went through my direct messages & emails from readers, and remembered just how much y’all inspire me.

I get a number of questions from readers wondering how I started blogging, what moving to Los Angeles from Texas is like, how I deal with problems like staying inspired & keeping everything together. Occasionally, I get questions about issues with fuck boys and how to keep your head up when social drama plagues daily life.

I’ll add those questions to my list of things to write about, too. So, if you have anything you’d like to hear about, don’t hesitate to send some questions my way!

On top of that, I’m going to make some time to meet with some of you in the coming months! I figure that a lot of my inspiration lies in y’all, so this will be so freakin’ fun. Coffee dates? I’m in.

So, what do y’all do to stay inspired? Are you allowing yourself to have creative space & time to flex that creativity? What makes you feel most like yourself?

I hope this post can serve as your reminder that inspiration is SO important! I hope all of you can find a way to disconnect, relax, & create ( whatever that means to you ). And, when you’re stuck ( like I have been lately ), I hope you can find a way to get yourself back on track. We’re always happiest when we’re inspired, right?

Moving on to the clothes: I’ve partnered with Urban Outfitters to share with y’all this extra-comfy child-of-the-coast look. My photographer, Haley, and I went out to Malibu for the day to snap some photos in this outfit.

Speaking of places in the Los Angeles area that inspire me… Malibu is on the freakin’ list. It’s so peaceful.

Y’all already know how much I love Urban Outfitters. They have everything you could ever need & it’s all so affordable. Right now, their spring & summer dress selection is killing it. I’m a sucker for throw-on-and-go dresses and rompers for warmer weather.

I can’t get over this overall situation happening here. This little crop top comes in three colors, and is only $29. My breezy overalls also come in three colors, and are $69. I’m really into these babies in blue.

Shop My Look

Shop Similar UO Steals

Did I mention I love UO? LOL.

Also, did I mention I also love my photographer, Haley Ringo?

She never ceases to amaze me with her talent. She’s basically the kindest, most fun person on planet earth. It’s a solid contrast to my more serious, sarcastic weirdness.

I guess people like Haley are a source of inspo, too. Surround yourself with all of that good energy, my beebs! It’ll enhance every part of your life.

Wishing y’all an exciting &/or relaxing weekend! I’m off to start the weekend early with brunch & some vintage shopping on Melrose, because you can never have enough cut-off shorts, amiright?

Talk soon, weens. xx