Purpose and Passion

Earlier this week I mentioned that I had considered letting this blog go. There are only so many hours in a day. After my regular job and motherhood, there's not a lot of me left for other important pursuits like exercising or socializing. I would rather do a few things and do them well than run around like a crazy woman, huffing and puffing about getting things done.

But, it turns out, I still have so much to say. This blog won't be going anywhere for now.

The beauty of blogging is that this blog is all mine. I don't report to anyone, I don't have to consult with anyone, and I feel like this is where I can truly be myself. My best, most fun, edited self, but still all me.

via Traditional Home

And I am an interiors artist. I LOVE a beautiful room. Mixing this with that to create a space that works is my jam. Color, pattern, texture, scale--these are the mediums I work in.

About the same time I discovered this passion for decorating, I also discovered blogs. Initially, I thought blogging might be a good way to make some extra money. Doesn't everyone make money blogging? Nope, not me. More importantly, though, this blog has given me a way to share my love of design with others.

Design Daredevil via Sarah Sarna

Which has been important because going back to school for interior design was not (and still is not) an option. I have loads of respect for people who have been classically trained in the field, but as a single mom then with two young children (and now those children are that much closer to going to college themselves), it just wasn't going to happen.

I also already have a really wonderful job in a different field. This fact actually gave me a big jolt of confidence. If I could be good at a job in a field I am so-so about, why couldn't I be amazing at something I love??? After all, I wasn't specially trained in budget planning or really any of the things I do. I learned as I went.

Miles Redd via House Beautiful

This reminded me, too, of early attorneys who "read the law" in the office of a more experienced attorney. Some of our supreme court justices, arguably the most learned men of their time, studied the law this way. And so my blog became the vehicle for me to test out theories, to study the masters, and to really figure out my style.

In the beginning, I was sure that I loved organizing. Nope. I just like how pretty organized spaces look. This led me to realize the absolute importance of function.

I'm a fan of the "use what you have" style of decorating popularized by Lauri Ward. This means I am more redecorator than designer, an important distinction. I'm less interested in knocking down walls than I am about buying lots of pretty pillows for the couch you already have.

via

And all of that budget planning for my day job and my single-parenthood debt reduction? It has made me a keen shopper for the best ways to save a buck on a room design. Having a budget to work within can actually be a fun challenge.

Ultimately, I want to design rooms for people--whether I get paid for it or not. Living with beauty shouldn't just be for the fabulously wealthy. Loving where you live should be available to everyone. I'm not sure where this blog or my passion for interior design will take me, but I'm enjoying it all so very much.