Today’s guest-post is written by Amber, author of Arbitrary Ambrosia. Amber has a Master’s degree in counseling and is a Community Outreach Specialist targeting eating disorders and substance abuse. Although she loves football, she is arguably the most feminine blogger I know and admits to also loving anything that sparkles. Her sense of fashion is truly classic and her confidence to be herself is clearly conveyed in her writing. Amber discusses what inspired her to blossom into the Audrey Hepburn that she is today, and completely rock at it.
When Stephanie asked me to post about what inspires me, I thought it would be a pretty simple task because I am inspired by so much. But when I sat down to write, I realized that being inspired by so much makes it pretty difficult to narrow it down to just one or two things. So I had to dig to find what was at the core of all of my inspirations. Here goes…
To describe my source of inspiration, I need to give you my back story. I was a super shy little girl. I was an only child with a crazy imagination, an immense amount of creativity, and was way too sensitive and emotional for my own good. As time passed and I reached early high school years, I learned to curb my emotions more and more by being a people pleaser and distancing myself from my creativity. By my senior year of high school, I developed an eating disorder that lasted through a good portion of my college years. All sources of creativity had vanished along with my voice and authenticity. Little did I know that these were the very things that would help me reach recovery. As I began my uphill battle towards happiness, I found that painting, playing with fashion, surrounding myself with joyful people, and learning to appreciate the gifts in my empathy and natural positive spirit healed me.
Many things have changed since that time. I am comfortable in my own skin; I love speaking in front of others, especially to advocate for what I believe in, and I have a genuine happiness that reaches to my core. I also found a deep desire to be surrounded by all things authentic and real.
So this gets to the question Stephanie asked, “What inspires you?” Well, it is people and situations that are deeply genuine, creative and confident. It’s things that evoke true emotions; they make me feel alive or thankful or happy for no reason. It’s things that make a difference whether it be small or large. I am inspired by my 9-year-old client who doesn’t want to be a teenager yet, I’m inspired by the ever-changing beauty of nature; I’m inspired by beautiful fabrics, gorgeous paintings, and funky hair colors. Like I said before, I am inspired by so much, but underlying it all is the theme of an emotional connection and beauty through my eyes because I neglected these things for so very long.
So the next time you are walking around a shop and the fabric on that dress that is so “not you” gives the corner of your lips an upward pull, give it a second look. Or maybe when you are taking a walk around the park and feel an overwhelming feeling of joy, you should pull out your phone and snap a quick picture to remember that moment. Or maybe the next time you are walking down the street, smile at a stranger and welcome that tug in your heart you get as you receive their smile back. You just may find some inspiration in your emotions as well.
*Stephanie says: A big thank you (and curtsey) to Amber for sharing such an amazing story about her own journey and how to find inspiration in the everyday world. She is truly someone who is a great role model for little girls and women everywhere.
