Last night, I saw a blog prompt online that simply asked, "What inspires you?". It's a common question and one I've had to answer more than once in writing classes.

I'm inspired by what's outside my window. It's the easiest place to look and one of the first things I do when I wake up. I take in the way the sun hits the trees or the variations of grays in the clouds on overcast days. I look out for birds and any other creatures who might be lurking about.

Photo by Rob Ellis

I'm inspired by music. Songs are my backdrop for all things creative. Music, although its own type of noise, quiets my mind and helps me block out all other outside static. This is one of my favorite playlists to write to.When I'm out and about or in a certain moment, I like to imagine a song that fits the emotion and situation playing in the background like in a movie.

I'm inspired by my dreams. Somehow, I manage to have very vivid and detailed dreams. My subconscious creates patterned drapes, road exits, and a whole cast of extras. The premise for the novel I'm working on came from a dream I had. The first thing I did when I woke up was find a pen and write down as much as I could remember.

One of my biggest inspirations is time. If I'm stuck on a project, whether it be a press release, graphic for social media, or a story, I take a step back and go do something else for a few minutes. If I'm not on a deadline, I take more time. Give it a break for that day and move to something else. I find in the middle of another thought I'll get a flash of inspiration and a big idea hits me. These are some of  my favorite moments.

Don't limit your inspirations to people. If you find yourself lacking inspiration simply look around you. Try turning on some music. Close your eyes and let your dream world conjure up something. Let time do its work.

Hey everyone!

Summer is coming to a close and I'm sure everyone has perfected or tried to perfect their desired summer look by now and are prepping for fall favorites like scarves and boots. This post is dedicated to a brave look that I've considered but haven't found the guts to try out; pastel and or gray hair.


As you've seen all over magazines and social media the trend of pastel and gray hair is still popular. I'm surprised it's lasted this long honestly, especially among celebrities. I mean there seems to be a new trend every week for them. I think the long life of this trend comes from the versatility of the look. There are so many colors and options to rock. You can go with highlights, ombre, dying only the ends of your hair, or maybe even just the back. I've seen it all.

Pastels

Kelly at the 2013 SAG Awards Getty Images | Fraizer Harrison

Starting in 2013, Kelly Osbourne was one of the first to dye her hair a pastel color. Kelly was the perfect person to start this trend (I'm assuming she did. If I'm wrong, sorry) because of her status on Fashion Police, before the Zendaya hair comments made by her now former co-host Giuliana Rancic. At first, I was on the fence about her lavender hair but it has since grown on me. The trend grew on others too as girls around the globe joined in and dyed their locks a variety of shades including cotton candy pink and sky blue. 

It's not hard to keep up with the trend since media outlets seem to go crazy every time some celebrity changes their hair. With girls testing out lighter and bolder hair, it wasn't long before the color gray caught everyone's fancy.


Gray/Grey


Now check out looks from one of my favorite Instagram users, Marycake. The first is her take on pastel ombre, going from a navy blue to a sky blue. The second, an ombre look featuring gray. This girl can work any look and I'm a little jealous!