Inspiration {or: why I'm blogging}

Early weekday mornings, when the house is dark and still, I pad into the kitchen, start a pot of coffee, and settle down in front of my laptop to check the day's weather and few of my favorite blogs. What a sweet way to greet the day - just a few quiet minutes for myself before my little daughters wake up and cheerful morning chaos ensues.

One blog particularly dear to my morning ritual is decor8, an interior design blog featuring charming images together with heartfelt, candid narrative. Founded and edited by Holly Becker, an American decorator and writer based in Hannover, Germany, decor8 imbues me with creative energy and inspiration. I especially appreciate Holly's warm and intimate writing style. I stumbled upon decor8 quite accidentally a few years back, and fell immediately head over heels. Before that happy coincidence, I confess that I didn't pay much mind to decorating. Of course I have always valued lovely spaces, but I never considered precisely what made an environment beautiful.

But now? Now, I am mindful of my surroundings. I realize that I am happiest and most creative when surrounded by beauty - and I understand that inspiring spaces don't happen by chance. These days, I make an effort each day to create at least a bit of loveliness - whether it's placing a tiny wildflower in a vase by my bed, taping a favorite postcard to the wall above my desk, or making a paper birthday banner for my sweet daughter. Recently, I discovered Adobe Illustrator - what a splendid tool for sketching out little pictures to tape above my desk!

Nearly two years ago, Holly announced her plan to offer an online blogging course; oh how I yearned to sign right up - a curious reaction in light of the fact that I was not a blogger. Quite the contrary, I have always been a bashful girl. Still - every time I have seen posts regarding this class over the past couple of years, I have been overwhelmed with a pang of wistfulness. Finally, I am listening to my heart. I signed up for the Blogging Your Way course, which started yesterday. Despite my shyness, despite my misgivings, I am summoning up the courage to participate in an online conversation, and to establish a place to share my little creations.

I'll let you know how it goes.

With love, Tracy