One of the most common questions I get about blogging is where do you get fresh ideas? As the blogging world has become SO saturated it’s certainly hard to find things that haven’t been talked about 100 times before.
A favorite way I discover new things is to take a break from my regular routine, and most importantly, break away from the online world entirely! As I talked about in our first Business of Blogging post, I find that my surroundings really influence my thinking, so lately I’ve been trying to take fieldtrips to a new spot at least once a month.
The new Blue Bottle Coffee location, W.C. Morse in Oakland, is a perfect example!
The light bright space is the perfect spot for brainstorming!
I also prefer to go totally analog for these ideation sessions. I come armed with heaps of magazines {still my favorite source for relevant but unique happenings, designers, art, books and all things pop culture}, and so with coffee and snacks at the ready, I start my list making.
A good list is a beautiful thing. I was one of those uber-nerdy kids who loved taking notes in school. It was so satisfying to make headers, sub-headers and long trails of bullets all neatly categorized and organized {can we say Type A??}.
Taking a quiet hour or two to thumb through my favorite glossies and discover not only fresh content, but new graphic design, layout and editorial ideas is both energizing and therapeutic.
If I had to make a list of my favorite resources for new discoveries they would include:
> C Magazine. Super chic recaps of all things fabulous coming out of California.
> Australain Shelter Magazines. My two favorites are Inside Out and Belle.
> Vogue Living. It’s Australia-based too but uncovers great design from all over the world.
> The Gentlewoman. In-depth profiles of fascinating women. I’m in.
> UK versions of fashion magazines. The articles are actually interesting and usually don’t insult our intelligence {unlike most US fashion magazines!}.
> Kinfolk, Anthology, Hearth, Cereal. These “underground” pubs all chronicle lovely personal stories and amazing spaces with fantastic photography and moving essays.
But even with all this goodness at my fingertips, I’m curious – do you have other sources for fabulous finds and fresh ideas? I’d love to add some new ones to my list!
original photography for Apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick