I’ve been in and out of creative ruts this summer, and I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the nature of creativity. I tend to think of creativity as being synonymous with artistic, but this isn’t always the case. It’s true that for many people these concepts overlap. Artists are creative, for sure. But do they have to overlap? To what extent?

I’m not sure how much artistry can be taught, coached, and developed, but I do believe that true creativity can be. I think much of creativity starts with observation, so I’m starting to pick my head up and look around a little more. I’m trying to not just see things and take in information, but ask myself questions about it. What am I feeling right now as I experience this moment? Is it evoking panic, nostalgia, contentedness? What might that say about me, or about women, or about humans?

It’s not earth-shattering, but it’s a place to start.

I’m grateful for people and books that are pushing my creative thinking. For one, check out this beautiful post from Monica about the difference between being artistic and being creative, and how she’s learning to take risks and enjoy the process of creating. I also just started reading Creative Confidence, and I’m hoping it will open me up to being willing to take creative risks and to get better at identifying everyday opportunities to flex my creativity.

Here are some other things I’m grateful for this week.

Cultivating Gratitude

Fall weather making a comeback. Bring on the hoodies and sweatpants! Dan and I are taking a labor and delivery class this Saturday, so that special occasion combined with the cooler temperature means it’s going to be just the right day for my first PSL of the season.

Good books and time to read. Last weekend, I read a book in three days. Granted, it was a very short young-adult novel, but still, I did it. I love plowing through a riveting novel and spending hours on the couch devouring words and flipping pages. There’s something about consuming a whole book in a short time that makes me feel so very me. (And if you’re looking for a recommendation, the book was We Were Liars. By no means my favorite book, and I really didn’t like the author’s writing style, but the twist ending made the whole book worth reading.) Also, this may be a nursery glider, but it’s my new favorite reading chair until baby hijacks it.

Blogging friends and real-life friends who encourage me to go out on a limb, take a risk, and stretch myself in my writing. I’m always a little discouraged when a riskier post doesn’t do as well as I’d hoped, or doesn’t do as well as my more “bloggy” posts, but I’m starting to not let that get me down, because I just love to write these pieces.

Dan’s flexible work schedule. It takes such a burden off me when he happily runs errands, does the grocery shopping, and assembles nursery furniture while I’m at work. It’s a bummer that I don’t get to see him as often as I’d like on nights and weekends, but I appreciate all he does and the time we do have together.

Sharing Love

It’s so easy to see the flaws in our homes and become discontent with what we have in the face of all we wish we had. Daisy’s tips on how to fall in love with your current home no matter where you live are a great encouragement.

I’m not much of a DIY-er, but the way Christine transformed this china hutch is so inspiring! I have a small nightstand I want to refinish for the baby’s room, and this provided the boost I need to actually get it done.

Congratulations to my sweet blogging friend Chelsea on her recent engagement! You can read about and see all the beautiful details here.

Blogging is an interesting mix of self-expression and writing for our readers. Summer’s ideas on how to genuinely engage your readers (while staying true to yourself) are lovely.

I love strength training, and I’m a huge proponent of it for women (especially over cardio!). It’s a total myth that it will make you big and bulky. Here are three awesome reasons to add some weights to your workout.