Earlier this week, I had spent the entire morning working pretty hard. My brain was tired, there was more to do, but my head was in a fog. I didn’t feel like I was producing anything good so I took a little walk. I work in a little studio located in Downtown Burbank where there’s a variety of shops and restaurants. My plan was to head to this little furniture place, but when I walked past “Movie World” (as I do almost everyday after grabbing my morning coffee) something came over me, and I decided to go inside. The moment I looked around, I was stunned. The last thing I expected “Movie World” to have was walls full of books and retro posters. I got really excited and walked down the thin aisles and started pulling books off the shelves. I went through fashion magazines from the 1920s, chuckled at the “Microwave Cookbook” from the 50′s. (What a contrast to our food culture these days!) And being that Burbank is right in the center of the film industry, I found old movie scripts, press kits, and even stills taken on sets- like this Mary Poppins photo. It was magical.
I love this pic. It in an odd way reminds me of who I want to be. I like being a lady, I like fashion and looking nice. But I also LOVE getting messy. I love the feeling that comes from having charcoal all over your clothes and face after a night spent drawing. I’m not naturally clean, organized or polished. And I feel like this photo reminds me it’s ok. To let loose and be myself. Mary Poppins, the woman who was “practically perfect in every way”, also got messy and had fun doing it.
I left the store spending just over $20 in used books and photos. I gathered inspiration for upcoming projects and bought some things just for myself. But I really left with an excitement knowing that this place is just a few doors down from my studio. So whenever I want a burst of inspiration, or need to clear my head- instead of heading to Pinterest I’m heading to Movie World!
Doing this made me think about the amazing things / places / people that surround us on a daily basis, but we never experience because we either don’t have the time or the bravery to. As I’ve written about before, going to new places and experiencing different things really brings a new perspective to your work and your life. Just this week I realized how easy it is for us to find these experiences without even leaving home. Pretty awesome!!
So my challenge to you is to explore your daily surroundings. Do you see the same person at your local coffee shop every morning? Say hi! Get to know them! Go into that random store by your office and see what’s inside. Head to the other side of town or visit a restaurant you’ve never been to. The possibilities are endless. But the point is to get out of your “zone” – and see the magic happen. Now go! Then come back and tell me what you did. I’d love to hear!!
Happy Wednesday friends!!