Happy Friday! This week’s creative suggestion is inspired by what I’ll be teaching in my workshop at Charlotte Stone next week — there are still a few tickets, so if you’re in LA and free on Thursday night you should come!!! Details here.
And two pieces of fun news:
1. Á La Carte is now a Substack bestseller!!! I’m thrilled.
2. Next week I’ll be introducing a new “column” (is that what it is?) called Side Order! Each month I’ll ask for suggestions for a thing you’re searching for — it could be “seaside-grandmother-but-not-nautical decor”, “fun shoe/sock combos that don’t make me look like a little girl”, “things to effortlessly set a table with that look like I have dinner parties all the time even though I don’t”...or anything else! I’m really excited about it — the more niche the better. Side Orders will only be available to paid subscribers, so upgrade if you want in.
Anyway, let’s get to it:
Creative suggestion: So, by now you’ve probably caught onto a pattern: I love a theme. Whether I’m working on something for a client or I’m cleaning out my closet I like to find consistencies in the process. It could be a color that pops up over and over, a type of print I keep gravitating towards, or an era that a lot of work I love came from. Finding the common denominator in what I like/own/make helps me intentionally notice the things that I’m drawn to, and it also helps me see a path forward (if pistachio green keeps coming up, I should think about using pistachio green.)
Six months ago I started practicing this idea outside of any specific context and posting these “theme boards” to Instagram. A quick scroll through my Pinterest made it obvious that I love plaids and woven prints, so I started there, pulling images of runway looks and interior shots and fabric swatches that literally or indirectly used plaid. The next month’s board was ribbon-themed, the third was metallics, then monochrome, lace, and dots. They’re really fun to make, and it’s become a helpful way for me to revisit and process the things I’m saving to various folders. It also helps me explore whatever the opposite of being literal is — on the lace board I included leafy shadows, frosting on a cake, and a plaster wall treatment that just made sense.
I’d love to see what any of yours might look like if you gave it a shot; I’d bet that you’ll find a recurring theme in your inspiration bin that you didn’t know was there. If you do, send me a pic!!!
Personal recommendation: @letterformarchive! Not a huge secret — you probably already follow them on Instagram — but it’s one of my favorite accounts (and actually is run by one of you – hi Elise!) Letterform Archive is such a wealth of inspiration and information and I highly recommend you take a stroll through their online archive, where they’ve scanned and uploaded thousands and thousands of items relating to typography, calligraphy, lettering, and graphic design. The archive’s physical location in San Francisco is also so special — I really nerded out when I visited 5 years ago and I need to plan a trip back. I can’t say enough good things and am so grateful that resources like this exist.
Person to know: Sydney-based artist, florist, and doctor of philosophy Lisa Cooper. Her work spans across floristry, textiles, and sculpture, often a mix of two or all three, and it is STUNNING. Every time I see a piece of hers in my feed I stop and stare. The way she uses color and texture has had a huge influence on me, and I find the way she writes in her Instagram stories and in captions so charming and clever. I obviously have a huge crush on her and think you will have one too.
FYI: this month a portion of paid subscriber proceeds are going to Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization fighting from every angle for gun reform. There have been 140 mass shootings in the US since January 1, 2023, and I bet that number will have already gone up by the time this is sent out. If you’d like to make a donation directly, you can do so here.
x
Ali