All posts tagged: inspiration

On the Hunt for Inspiration

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Hunting for inspiration as a creative can be quite a daunting task. We aimlessly search high and wide for this elusive buried treasure of thoughts everywhere we turn. Our eyes are constantly thirsty for knowledge and each twist and turn along the road feeds a sometimes insatiable, mental beast obsessively documenting every move. The thrill is stimulating but can be draining and counterproductive once we’ve come down from this trip. We may feel overwhelmed, broken and lost. It’s at this point that retracing our journeys, simplifying our process, and finding stillness is key. The act of just closing our eyes for a second to meditate can reveal a new perspective to appreciate the tiny moments and everyday elements that surround us. In stillness, we often find the answers we’ve been searching for the entire time. I recently discovered this very important lesson accidentally. I was in a hurry to get out the door, occupied by jumbled thoughts for future posts and couldn’t find my set of keys. Tearing apart a path before me, I finally …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Sheena Sood

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“As a designer and color lover, every place I visit affects me creatively, professionally, and often personally. The art, people, textiles, street art, and food I experience inform my design work. Last year, I traveled by myself to Mexico City to visit a friend and to explore the city. Three moments from this trip stand out to me the most now. 1)   My visit to Casa Luis Barragán– the rich color palette of pinks, ochre, metallics, touches of blue glass, lots of wood and natural greenery, and the sense of zen that comes from being in such an impeccably designed space. My eyes were dancing for days after. 2)   A vendor selling these multi-color hand knotted bracelets on the street. The geometric rainbow patterns on each one were so mesmerizing to me and my fellow Libra friend that it literally took us both half an hour to choose about a dozen of them. Each one provides a perfect palette to inspire something to come. 3)   The insanely delicious, never-ending bowl of pozole I ate in …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Maurizio Zatachetto

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“Definitely New York has been significant with how I now perceive the world. There is no other city like it. I had this fascinating feeling that I would somehow find the missing portion I was always looking for to allow myself to freely be the real me. When I first arrived, it wasn’t easy like most people can imagine. But after a short period of time, everything changed, changed me both as a man and as a creative. There’s such an amazing alchemy in that city. A kind of environment that I’ve only ever experienced there.” – Maurizio Zatachetto    

Candid Chats w/ KO

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Last year at BlogHer15’s Experts Among Us conference in New York City, I met fellow blogger, Liv of Unbelievably Human and we connected on travel and life experiences. I invited Liv to be a part of my #100DaysofConfessions project and she equally had a few questions of her own for me regarding thoughts on travel and self-love. View our candid conversation below! Has travel always been apart of your background? or Did something call you to Travel? Travel has always been in my genes and from birth I’ve been nomadic due to having parents from different cultural backgrounds creating a delicate tight rope between America and Africa. Tracing where I was born and raised always turns into a geography lesson of sorts with the most frequent stints in California, New York and Nigeria so roaming has always been a natural extension of who I am at my core. However, despite my frequent movement as a child, I truly didn’t appreciate the character growth that stems from travel until my junior year in college when I …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ George Abi-Hanna

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

Travel for inspiration, such a beautiful phenomenon, to escape the mundanity of routine and inject one’s self with positive experiences from around the world. A voluntary timeless blood transfusion that delivers on many intangible levels. For musicians, that’s the never ending pilgrimage for musical influence, leading some to claim a home away from home.  Growing up in Lebanon during turbulent times, travel was reactionary. Plucking families like dandelions seeking a safe haven away from political turmoil. That “somewhere” evolved into Brooklyn for me. A beautiful borough with raw character, sharing inspiration beyond its borders, which reminded me of Beirut. Walking down either’s streets you get a sense of immense creative energy seeking an outlet. Graffiti covered walls incubating bands tucked away in packed alley bars. A comparable music scene in Lebanon giving Arabic rock and hip hop a platform where Arab artists can express themselves. A sense of sonic unity that Brooklyn taught me to appreciate. This journey for clarity has bought things full circle for me.  Now I find inspiration in seeing the work …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Sarah Granger

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“The power of Machu Picchu is difficult to express without being there. Photos don’t do it justice. You really do feel like you’re on top of the world, yet transported back in time. I suspect it’s similar to what you feel in the mountains of Nepal. The people are descendants who pass on ancient traditions and wisdom. The air has a special crispness to it, and the view is breathtaking. If you climb up to areas where most of the tourists don’t attempt to go, you can see for miles. I thought it would be like Stonehenge, where you stare at it for a few seconds, scratch your head, and get back on the bus. The difference is the setting. Where Stonehenge is in the middle of a field that could literally be any field anywhere, Machu Picchu is set in jagged yellow-green mountains, nestled among the clouds. It’s this bizarre geometric terracing experiment and raw evidence of human innovation. I did not expect the immenseness of it all. Those mountains are fierce and inviting …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Liv AKA Unbelievably Human

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“My apartment had always felt sacred to me, cleansed with sage, and my sanctuary of safety, it accepted me, it mirrored me, and whenever the world knocked me down, I knew it greeted me with a big hug. I guarded the door of that place not letting just anyone in. So, handing my sublet my keys to my fully furnished apartment knowing she would be treating it like her own for the next 6 months felt super personal to me…But I did it.  The former months had been in a word, tumultuous. I felt loss to myself. I’d been out of work and felt directionless and almost relentlessly I looked for answers outside myself, in the opinion and experiences of others. I was looking for something that I couldn’t seem to find. I desperately needed/wanted community and support but was experiencing mine dissipate. I felt lost and afraid, surrounded by people socially but all alone intimately.  Feeling unsure of myself, and having a heightened fear of making a “wrong” life decision that would “ruin” my …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ James Oliver Jr.

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“My favorite travel adventure was my destination wedding to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in May 2006. The weather was perfect. There were 35 of my closest friends and family, and my wife looked incredible. We got married on the beach, and the ceremony and reception were amazing. It was the best wedding I’ve ever been to, and I’m not just saying that because it was mine!  Being in Punta Cana for two weeks was also like having a series of mini vacations with friends because everyone stayed for different durations. The whole experience was simply perfect…  That travel event influenced my life professionally, too. In September 2011, I saw an HGTV episode in which they were in a family’s basement covering the wall with big, beautiful photo collage wallpaper, and I wanted to similarly display my amazing wedding photos. However, there was no way for me to replicate what I saw on TV, so I created a business that would let me do so. I called it WeMontage and it’s the world’s only way to …

Mel C-Jetsetterproblems.com

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Mel C.

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“Cartagena and Paris. They’re completely two different cities but yet they both have some of the most amazing architecture and history.  It’s the perfect juxtaposition… These two places would describe me as an individual.  Cartagena is the feel-good place where the vibe and colorful culture sucks you in.  Whereas Paris is the sophistication and mystery that keeps you mesmerized…” – Mel C.   062/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Joel Álvarez

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“Lately, I have been itching to just get on an airplane, sit, drink wine and go somewhere…It’s like when I’m in the air, I just have this feeling of excitement and anxiousness…the whole experience and process I enjoy…Being in the clouds…seeing the world that’s beneath you and how small yet so big it seems…I think also because I’m going somewhere far…Does everyone else feel this way?” – Joel Álvarez // @joel_a 048/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project