who am i? {dreamer, thinker, creative}

happy Monday, all!  i'm sharing a project today that i made for the Crate Paper blog.  it actually ran over there on Friday, but for anyone who didn't see it there, here it is.  it's a bit of an insight into my creative mind and i hope you enjoy it!

who am i?  what inspires me?  what do i want to accomplish?  those were the 3 questions in my mind as i contemplated my identity board.  i figured that if i was going to make this to use as a tool in my creative toolbox, it should probably answer those questions.  this is something i've wanted to do for a long time, but never found the time or motivation to do it.  luckily, this came up as an assignment for Crate and i kinda pounced on it!

i explored all sorts of avenues--i could make it about Rebecca Luminarias, the person.  i could make it about Rebecca Luminarias, wife and mother.  i could make it about Rebecca Luminarias, the creative.  or i could go big and make it about all of me!  the last choice was the loftier of options, but ultimately the one i went with.

in the beginning, the board was all over the place--i had stacks of my favorite personal photos, a binder full of torn out magazine pages for inspiration, a basket filled with pieces i've made that represent my paper crafting style, and the entire collection of Maggie Holmes' Styleboard. it was obvious right away that if i intended to use all of those items, i would need an identity ROOM, not just a board.  it was time to thin out my stash and focus on one aspect or theme that would somehow tie all of the elements together.

in the end, i drew inspiration from COLOR.  in my {extremely} humble opinion, i would say that, as a graphic designer/crafter, choosing colors is one of my strongest attributes.  when i'm drawn to an image, it is almost always because of the colors.  i tend to think in color above any other element of design.  so once i focused on a color scheme for my board, it all started to come together naturally.

i turned to my Etsy shop for inspiration.  i'm always thinking about it: how do i make it better, how do i set myself apart from the competition, how can i make Thurston Post a recognizable brand?  in terms of branding, i use color again: yellow, aqua, coral, and taupe-gray.  because Thurston Post has become a large part of my identity--both personally and creatively--i wanted to feature it prominently on my board.  it also happens that the Styleboard collection includes all of those colors, as does the newest Boden catalog.  oh, and because i'm mad for gold right now, i used that as an accent.

 with my color scheme chosen, i had to focus next on who i am.  well...who am i?  believe it or not, this question always stumps me.  aside from the obvious--mom, wife, woman--who am i?  what makes me different from the next mom-wife-woman?  we shouldn't all be lumped in that category together because we're all completely different.  so what makes me a unique mom-wife-mother?  who am i?

i thought about what i do, what i feel, my likes and dislikes, and my experiences, and came up with a short list of descriptive words.  these words best encompass my personality and speak of me as an individual.  i also had to put not perfect on there.  i have to remember that no one is perfect and i should stop beating myself up for being real instead of imperfect.  attaining perfection is impossible.  i make mistakes, sometimes i'm selfish and self-absorbed, and i'm a terrible conversationalist!  but i also have more admirable traits and strive to be a decent human being.  on top of that, i'm lucky to be loved :)

next, i thought about what i like as a designer/crafter, and specifically, what inspires me?  (obviously, color made the list!)

not only is this a list of my current favorites in designing, it is also my favorite piece on the board.  the bright yellow dress from the catalog (which is also a polka dot pattern) is surrounded by white space on the page (another favorite).  it made it easy to stack elements from Styleboard on top of it, covering a good portion of the dress, but leaving enough exposed to get the idea of the color, pattern, and style.  this vignette also features all of the colors i'm using...a hint of coral in the chipboard flower, the aqua journaling card, the yellow dress, and, because my typewriter has an old ribbon in it, the print is gray instead of black!

this was the very first vignette i created for the board.  i was going through the SB journaling cards and the coral ampersand cutout was sitting atop the black and white polka dot.  admittedly, i got a little weak-kneed about it, and then when i layered them on top of the aqua tag, it was like they were all meant to live together in harmony on my board.  the gold glitter strip was already there and i added a swatch of lace...there were 3 design elements i always go to when creating:  texture, color, and pattern.

i often find that i'm unable to choose a favorite style when it comes to design, crafting or even decorating the house.  i love the idea of being minimalist but it doesn't always work.  you can tell that this board, for example, is far from minimal!  i think it's all right to be versatile, though, and to like and be inspired by many styles.  when you let that happen, it opens the  door to fresh ideas.  

i couldn't leave out my affinity for music.  it has gotten me through many difficult times, inspired me in a million different ways, occupies the majority of space on my iPhone, and was likely the reason my husband and i fell in love!  with Styleboard's music embellishments--records, record players, and music notes--i had so much to choose from to create my humble homage to my favorite artists.  though not a musical element, i love the way the Venn Diagram overlay looks as a finishing touch--don't you think the circles mimic records and cds?

my family, of course, is a large part of who i am.  the decisions i make, the things that i do, and the desire to be successful are in large part because of them.  here again, i used photo overlays; the hearts on them are representative of the love i have for these three people and our life together.

these pieces lead me to the third question i was contemplating with this board...what do i want to accomplish?  like everyone, i have short and long-term goals.  i'd like to have a happy marriage, raise healthy and loving children, enjoy my career, and make Thurston Post, the brand, thrive.  each element of this board plays a role in achieving those goals. 

i even whipped up a quick greeting card to include here because when i began paper crafting, these were primarily what i made.  my style and abilities have evolved through the years, and i've expanded my repertoire to include things well beyond the realm of simple cards.  to be successful and to stay relevant in an ever-changing world--no matter what your chosen career path--you must do those things.  you must be willing to evolve.

lastly, i included a small piece of the "future" on the board.  the envelopes this model is holding immediately caught my eye.  they look like they were handmade or repurposed and i love the bold colors on the kraft background.  this idea is nothing new, but it's something i'd like to recreate in my own way.

from conception to fruition, this board took over 2 weeks to create.  it is something i will turn to again and again when i'm in a creative rut.  it's something that will, like me, change over time.  i will remove vignettes and make new ones; i will fall in love with a new color palette; the fashions will go out of style; something else will be the new GOLD and everyone will hate glitter (gasp!).  but bits and pieces of this board will always be reminders of who i am.  dreamer, thinker, creative.