Outfit details: Zara yellow Leather Biker Jacket (similar), Banana Republic Houndstooth Sweater, Express jeans, Alexander Wang heels
I’m a self-avowed creative person, creative spirit, and creative soul. I love and embrace my many creative pursuits. My mind is often full of abundant ideas for my writing, entrepreneurial, and artistic endeavors, from performing live comedy to styling colorful looks. We often think of creatives as people brimming with off-the-cuff, on-the-spot concepts for any and everything. But the truth is, we all have limits! Even those of us with an overflowing cup of creativity know how it feels to suddenly experience a complete block and need help figuring out how to get unstuck from a creative rut.
Currently, my creative process feels a bit overextended and overwhelmed. I’ve been experiencing a bit of a creative void myself – at least when it comes to blogging. By day, I work at a creative technology firm, so much of my creative juices are poured into my marketing and business development role. I’m also regularly performing or practicing improv or standup comedy, so that expends a great deal of creative thinking and energy as well. There are a few additional things I’m also working on, so with everything combined, my creativity is often pushed to the limits – or maxed out. So I’ve been lagging in the blog creation department.
So what’s a creative to do when they can’t be creative? How do you motivate yourself to get unstuck?
1. Express what you are feeling
When experiencing a complete creative block and if you’re feeling empty of ideas, you can use exactly that as a starting point! Case in point: this blog post. I couldn’t think of anything to write about, so I wrote about precisely that. Writing is my primary art form, and form of creative expression, so when I’m feeling blocked, the best thing I can do is start writing about what’s currently challenging me. In comedy, for example, the best place to start is always with the truth, and jokes build from there. So if you’re feeling blocked, start with your current truth, no matter how significant or insignificant you think it is. Combine that with your favorite form of creative expression, and build from there!
2. Get out of the house
Sometimes you need to take a break and step away from the work and experience living your life again! Your lifestyle, experiences and external events will help fuel your creativity once again. Go to the movies, hang out with friends, enjoy the day at a museum or art show, take a road trip, go to a comedy show, people watch in the park, exercise outdoors. There are so many ways to get your mind going and sparking new creativity! Keep a journal of any ideas that come to mind during or after your experiences. Even if you’re not a writer, you can always jot down your thoughts in a journal or in a notes app to gather ideas to get your creative juices flowing again!
3. Try something new
You know that phrase “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got?” Well, if you want to access new creative ideas and get unstuck, you’ve got to try new things! For me, one of the best new things I like to do to inspire creativity is travel to a new place. Experiencing new sites and sights provides me with countless creative material and opportunities for new content. But you don’t need expensive or time-consuming travel. You can experience a ton of new things in your own neighborhood or town. All you have to do is leave your fear or comfort behind and open yourself up to trying new experiences!
Do you experience creative blocks? How do you manage them? How do you get unstuck, re-stimulate your creativity and get your creative processes back on track? Share your tips in the comments!
The post How to Get Unstuck from a Creative Rut appeared first on What's Haute™.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Drizly. All opinions expressed herein are my own.
Have I mentioned how much I love the holiday season? The answer is yes – I probably have about a million times already. I absolutely adore the holidays – starting at Thanksgiving, and extending to Christmas, then to New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day – and all the fun and festivities. Maybe it’s because I love any excuse to attend, or host a holiday party! There’s nothing better than getting together with a group of close friends and family to celebrate the season with fun, games, music, food, treats, and of course, coming up with holiday drink ideas!
Holiday meals, libations and cocktails are always the most delicious part of any holiday fest. But prepping holiday meals and gathering holiday drink ideas can take up valuable time. Because holiday parties require a lot of planning, don’t you want a way to simplify things and make your planning so much easier? And eliminate an extra trip to the liquor store? Sure you do!
Enter, Drizly. It’s the world’s largest alcohol marketplace, and the quickest, easiest way to shop for beer, wine and spirits for any occasion. They promise delivery in under 60 minutes. And I promise you, they deliver on that promise! I recently placed my first order from Drizly, and it was super simple and so efficient. I just went onto their website, entered my address, and browsed the local stores and their selections. I ordered some great spirits, including Malibu Rum, Perrier Jouet Grand Brut Champagne, and Lillet Servir Tres Frais Blanc wine.
Within an hour of placing my order, I received a text message alerting me that the delivery driver was on his way to meet me. When he arrived, he verified my age and ID, and had me sign the receipt, and then he went on his merry way. In less than an hour, I received my order, without having to leave the comfort of my location. Simple. Quick. Easy. And stress-free! These words summarize my experience with Drizly.
I also love that they have a ton of holiday drink ideas on the site, so depending on which cocktails you want to craft for you and your friends, you can find the recipe and order the ingredients right there! Or you can do like I did, and improvise based on what you buy. Also, beneath each item there is a description of the liquor, plus suggestions for pairings. I tried the Lillet Servir Tres Frais Blanc wine chilled with some fresh fruit garnish, as pictured. But for holiday parties, I wanted make a fun, sparkling, holiday rum punch, using the recipe below.
Sparkling Holiday Rum Punch recipe:
1.5 parts Malibu Rum
0.5 parts Orange juice
0.5 parts Lemon juice
0.5 parts Maple syrup
1.5 parts Perrier Jouet Grand Brut Champagne
Garnish with orange slices, lemon slices, cranberries, and star anise
Want to discover some more cool recipes, holiday drink ideas, and save time, stress in party planning, and money? Try Drizly – and use code HOLIDAYCHEERS for free delivery or $5 off your order! Happy holidays, and happy celebrating!
The post Holiday Drink Ideas with Drizly appeared first on What's Haute™.
Wearing: Urban Outfitters Flat Brim Felt Fedora Hat, Tahari Boiled Wool Solid Long Coat, H&M Fine-knit Sweater, H&M A-line Skirt, Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific Adrina Boot
Do you feel that every part of your life is fulfilling? You should. But it takes deliberate steps and time to get to that point. I can say I’ve arrived! At least, to feeling fulfilled with my life. No, it doesn’t mean that my life is at all perfect – it is far from that. What it means is that everything I’m doing, and everyone that’s a part of my life, matters. And I feel an overall happiness and inner peace that I haven’t felt in quite a while.
My career feels fulfilling, because the work that I do aligns with my personal and professional values and goals.
And my personal friendships/relationships are fulfilling, because I excised those who were not contributing positively to my life, and cultivated close relationships with those who do.
The ‘extracurricular’ activities I engage in are fulfilling, because they are by choice, and valuable to me, in various ways. Performing standup comedy and improv is necessary for me, because I love to laugh and have fun, and it’s a great creative way to express myself.
I continue to blog because I continue to love doing it. It’s been a long time since I started this blog (back in 2006), and have taken periodic breaks when needed, but I always return to it because I remain passionate about writing and sharing. There are a few other things I’m working on behind the scenes that I won’t share just yet, but they also align with my interest, values, and personal life goals. But overall, everything that I am currently doing, planning on doing, and who I’m surrounding myself with, is by choice, and truly what I want. It feels good!
Are you on the path to achieving and living a fulfilling life? Here are a few tips I’ve incorporated into my life that helped me feel more fulfilled:
1. Learn to say no.
This year, I’ve had to learn to say no, and not feel guilty about it. That means not doing favors because I felt guilted into them, saying no by ending toxic relationships and never looking back, not forcing myself to go out for the sake of hanging out, among other things. You have to live your life for yourself, not for others. I love to make others happy but had to learn not to do so at the detriment of my own sanity.
2. Do what makes you happy.
This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised to learn how many people don’t do it. It’s usually due to fear or excuses. Sometimes you can’t control certain circumstances. But there are things you can control, and you should make it a point to engage in those things as much as possible. You have to make your own happiness a priority. I make time for the things I love/people I love because why not? Why would I invest more time and energy in things that only serve to sap my energy and precious time? I’ll say it again: find and do what makes you happy!
3. Surround yourself with positivity.
I don’t like to engage in negative chatter; I much prefer to have positive, uplifting, inspiring, motivational, fun and funny conversations. The people I’m around – family, friends, comedy peeps, and colleagues, for the most part fall into one or more of those categories. Also, I ensure I have an array of positive messaging intertwined in my daily life, through various means. A longtime friend of mine sends daily Christian devotionals via email, and I read those regularly. I pray before I leave the house every morning, and listen to Joyce Meyer’s “Enjoying Everyday Life” podcast almost daily. And I follow Christian and motivational accounts on social media. I am always feeding my spirit in one way or another.
4. Spend your time on valuable things.
Everything can be replaced except time. So if you waste it – it’s gone forever. Make a plan, set some goals, and decide how you want to best spend your time. My life consists of what’s most important to me: God, family, friends, work, comedy, improv, blogging, business, traveling, and other fun things. These are all things worthy of investing my time in, because they each matter so much to me.
As we head into this new decade, I hope you find that every area of your life feels fulfilling. I certainly plan on continuing to follow my own tips, and living a fulfilling life!
The post Living a Fulfilling Life – Four Tips appeared first on What's Haute™.
It’s been years since I hit the mall during the holiday season. I usually do most of my holiday shopping online, but I also love a good local holiday market. I was invited to stop by Shop A.F. yesterday, a holiday pop-up at Union Market. The event was held just above the Union Market restaurants in an open warehouse space. The market, which ends at 5pm today, features 80 curated local brands and craftsmen, with handcrafted accessories, homegoods, and fashion, food, brews and wine, and craft cocktails from Angels Envy, Ciroc and DeLeon
Tequila.
I saw and shopped some familiar brands, and discovered a ton of new brands with haute finds too, including:
Milk Bar – who is offering free shipping on their website for the holiday season.
Arrivista Planner – the planner of all planners, featuring sections on faith, goal-setting fun, travel, budgeting, and featuring a beautiful Ankara print cover.
Le Mondeur – beautifully handcrafted, embroidered shoes – my fave pair is the Monarch in Moda, in support of saving the Monarch butterfly species.
Uncle T Spices – delicious hand-mixed spices.
ARTICLE22 – beautiful, meaningful jewelry made in Laos from bomb debris.
The Passport Program – offers 2-for-1 drinks at restaurants across the country.
And tons more!
If you’re stuck on shopping and gift ideas, come out to Shop A.F. holiday market today – grab a drink, enjoy the scene, and find something special and unique for everyone in your life!
The post Shop AF is the Holiday Market of all Holiday Markets appeared first on What's Haute™.
Wearing: Red satin dress c/o Coco Myles, Christian Louboutin Pigalle pumps, Zara faux fur scarf, H&M gold fringe earrings
'Tis the season for galas, gowns, green and red clothing options, glam squads, and all-around grandiosity! There are really only two times of the year where you have complete license to do the absolute most when it comes to your looks. The first time is on your birthday. The second is during the Christmas-to-New Year's Day holiday season. Since the season is filled with holiday parties, of the office variety to gala-kind, and of course any and all kinds of New Year's Eve parties, there are plenty of chances to rock your most conservative pantsuits to jumpsuits and dresses that'll have you resembling the infamous Times Square ball. In a great way, of course. I've rounded up the entire range of holiday outfit ideas and holiday looks for this season. Looking for tartan options? It's here. Velvet, satin and sequins? Got you covered. There's plenty of red and green, obviously, plus winter white, jewel tones, metallics, and pretty much every possible holiday outfit option that screams "I'm ready and dressed for all the winter holidays!" Shop on, below.
What are your holiday plans and which of the items below will you be wearing as you celebrate?
The post 50 Holiday Outfit Ideas for the 2019 Season appeared first on What's Haute™.
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