Self-reflection is not enjoyable. At the end of this unnamed decade, I find myself wanting to reflect, consider and plan for the next decade but, ironically, I first need to carve out the time from a tortured work/life schedule. I’ve added so many layers to my life with work, the podcast, family time and health that I am longing for time. Just…time. I used to be really good at making space for alone, quiet, creative time but I’ve started taking that time away from myself to fit other things in and I think that’s been a mistake.
Until recently, I didn’t realize how important unstructured moments are for creativity. When I crank things out I start to perform on auto-pilot with half my brain engaged and the other half checked-out and thinking about what I have to do next. Who wants to be that person?
Do you make space in your day or week for “free time?” I’m going to start planning for it and I’m not going to fill it (as tempting as I know it will be) with a quick errand here or there. I’m going to let it happen and see where it takes me. It used to take me to creative ideas for ongoing projects and I know that space helps my creativity. The funny thing about free time is that if you have too much or too little of it very little creative or interesting things get done. There’s a fine balance between time and creativity/productivity and I imagine everyone is different with how much freedom they need in order to feel creative.
To wrap up this year, here are my top nine most liked images from Instagram 2019. I’ve taken a break from Instagram this week and it’s felt good. Everyone seems to claim “authenticity” right now but it’s still an odd “authentic” of normal messes in beautiful rooms and beautiful people without makeup or botox. The other buzzword this year was “vulnerable.” I don’t enjoy feeling vulnerable, so that’s a hard one for me to come around to trying and I think it can come across as over-sharing and needy if you’re not careful. Also, to be perfectly honest, I don’t like how vicious some people are online and I don’t want to engage.
The above blue is very similar to Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2020 and I think it struck a collective nerve. I did my first blue kitchen in 2015 and I’m surprised and delighted with how this colorful trend is persisting and how it continues to change through the years. I have multiple blue(ish) kitchens in the design and planning stages right now. Blue is getting brighter and bolder as we move out of this decade and into the next. I can’t promise that I will get brighter and bolder but at least the interiors I work on will!
“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” — Kurt Vonnegut
The Colorado Nest 
I’m amazed by this design!
Kitchen Utensils Review