Gratituesday: Inspiration

So this week I want to express my gratefulness for inspiration. Without inspiration my little business just would not be. There are so many people/websites/print products out there that inspire me in not just photography, but many areas of my business and life. I thought it would be fun to share them with you all.

1. The one and only Jasmine Star. Just for one second, I’d ask you to look past the photography you find on her site. Take a look around, read her words and witness her incredible character. She is a woman of virtue. She inspires me to bless people with my talent, to give to and serve others. Her example of godly character encourages me to look at my business as a way to bless others. Sounds totally cheesy, I know. But I’m for real, ya’ll. She is fabulous.
2. Real Simple Magazine. Okay so yes, I love the content of this magazine. But more than that, I love the layout. I know, it’s silly, but I absolutely love looking at pretty paper. The layout, colors, photos… this magazine was designed with my style in mind. I adore it! I love when I get a new one in my mailbox and I spend the first few minutes with it open simply browsing through the pages to see the style of design: fonts, lines, color schemes, etc.
3. The Creative Mama. Angie has recently closed up shop over at TCM but I still find it to be a great source of inspiration for me. Through her topics on photography, organization, simple living, and happy reminders to keep your priorities straight in life, Angie has encouraged me to kick the laziness and procrastination monsters in my life and jump into the work God has placed before me FEET FIRST! (Whew, long sentence!) She’s fantastic and even without new blog posts, I am sure her archives will have plenty of inspiration for you, too. (And okay… I’m NOT a Mama… yet. Trust me, I know that.)
4. Brown Eyed Fox. I LOVE this lady! I love her design talent, her whimsy style and snapshots of her girls. I really enjoy her photos - whether they are technically perfect or not. I love seeing the world through her inspiring and unique style.
5. Three Little Birds Photography. I love her art work. That’s about all I can say about miss Mindy.
6. Sara Janssen. I met Sara through my sister. She is bold, passionate, loving and not afraid to do anything that could shock people or cause them to judge her. I admire her diet (and discipline regarding all her eating habits), her dreads, her passion, her simple living habits, and her photography! She is super inspiring to me!
7. Marta Locklear. Marta is setting trends and inspiring others. I’ve been a fan of her work for months (years?!) and am beginning to see bits of her style pop up in other photographer’s photos, a true testament to her other admirers. Marta inspires me to search within myself to find my own style and to create art my own way.
8. Apartment therapy. This site inspires me to live simply and with less. I often wish I could downsize my home and move my husband and our doggies into a little two bedroom apartment. (Just ask Tommy how often I dream out loud about that one!) I love to browse the site for decor and organization ideas.
9. Natalie Jost. I have been following Natalie around the web for years now. I love her design ideas - she has graphic design covered in all areas: web design, print design, logo design. I love her attention to details and original ideas.
10. Jess from Mourning into Dancing. Jess’ writing is so real. I have blogged about her on my personal blog a number of times. Her blog is one of the few I read that doesn’t have pictures on it. I mean… that should say something. Her relationship with Christ is real and she shares it with transparency. She is a true inspiration to me.