Learning to Lead with Inspiration: the Secret to Original Design
HOW TO USE INSPIRATION AS THE BASE OF YOUR DESIGN
Mae&Co Monthly provides in-depth education on essential topics for planners, stylists, designers, and coordinators, and every month, subscribers get access to videos, workshops, Zoom sessions, and more that revolve around a focused area of expertise.
Recently, we focused on our one of our favorite themes at Mae&Co: design fundamentals. Unique, thoughtful design is at the core of everything we do at Mae&Co Creative, and we loved sharing our expertise around the design process, creating design boards, and, most importantly, how to take your inspiration to create a base to your design.
Inspiration should always be the base for your designs because it will serve as a grounding element. If you get off track looking at hundreds of photos, or when you get distracted by a new trend or a different color, that grounding piece of inspiration will help you refocus and keep building a cohesive design.
Plus, designing from a place of inspiration will always make you better at what you do. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: if you’re only designing based on popular trends or because you feel like you need to keep up with something or someone - it’s not sustainable. Instead, when you choose to create designs inspired by something that sparks creativity or fuels your passion, you will start to feel passionate about your design and what you do - giving you the tools to create authenticity and build longevity.
YOU’RE PROBABLY THINKING “THIS SOUNDS GREAT, BUT WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT CLIENT DESIGNS?!”
I get my inspiration from everywhere, it doesn’t have to be just one place! I am inspired by interior design, by fashion, by out of focus photos, by architecture, by old photos, by linens, by clean lines, travel, by culture and colors.
To find what inspires you, ask yourself: Where do you come up with your best ideas? Where do you get the most excited about designing? What inquiries make you jump out of your seat?
Lean into those ideas, because the best thing about what inspires you is that it’s yours. You might share the same inspiration as others but the way it touches you and motivates you is unique to you.
To help our Mae&Co Monthly members discover where their information comes from, we sent all of our community members a custom inspiration board template! We encouraged everyone to use this board for their brand, client designs, styled shoots, and more, and it was so encouraging to see so many creatives find unique colors, fonts, people, places, and things that inspired them!
Are you craving tools to help you find what inspires you? Join our Mae&Co Monthly subscription to get access to unique design board templates and interactive education to take your designs to a whole new level!
GET THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO RUN A BADASS BUSINESS FOR LESS THAN $1.50 A DAY!
Not ready to purchase a monthly subscription? Sign up for the Mae&Co Monthly newsletter! This biweekly musing provides planners, designers, stylists and coordinators with the tips and tricks you need to get closer to your dream business. Think of it as the starter pack to getting the tools you need (we send out freebies!) to run a badass business.