The real (and sometimes ridiculous) things that fuel my creative process.
People ask me all the time: “Where do you get your ideas?”
And while I wish I could say I retreat to a mountain cabin and commune with my muse in perfect silence… the truth is, my inspiration is a little more down to earth (and a little more caffeinated).
Here’s a peek behind the curtain of what really gets the creative wheels turning in my one-woman studio:
Coffee: The Ritual, Not Just the Caffeine
I’m not saying design can’t happen without coffee…
But I am saying I’d rather not find out.
There’s something about the ritual—the warm mug, the quiet moment before the day starts—that gives me a soft mental reset. It’s my signal to shift into focus mode. Some of my best layout ideas have happened mid-sip.
I take mine strong, a little sweet, and always within arm’s reach. And it helps that one of my good friends just so happens to make the best coffee around!
Music: My Mood Board in Sound Form
I design with music playing 90% of the time.
Not just because it helps me concentrate, but because music sets the entire tone of what I’m creating.
Need clean lines and structure? Instrumental lo-fi.
Need bold, out-of-the-box ideas? Funk, soul, or something with a strong beat.
Need to keep working when I’m tired? The White Stripes. Always.
Music helps me get into the feeling of a project before I’ve even opened a design file. It’s like an invisible collaborator in the room.
Chaos: The Beautiful Kind
Okay, hear me out: chaos is part of the process.
Not “everything is on fire” chaos, but creative chaos. The messy notes. The scribbled ideas. The 23-tab browser session that started with typography research and ended in a rabbit hole about color theory and street art.
Designing isn’t a straight line. Sometimes I need to wander through the noise before the concept clicks. That swirl of ideas, pressure, deadlines, and spontaneous bursts of “wait—what if we tried this?”… that’s where the magic hides.
Also: Nature Walks, Graffiti, and Random Conversations
Some of my favorite inspiration doesn’t happen at my desk.
It happens when I step away.
A walk around my garden. A mural on the side of my favorite place to meet (and eat!). A one-liner from a friend that sticks with me.
Inspiration isn’t always a lightning bolt. It’s often a slow build of details that suddenly connect.
TL;DR: Creativity Doesn’t Happen in a Vacuum
My design work is fueled by a mix of structure and spontaneity, playlists and panic, coffee and imperfect sketches.
It’s not always pretty, but it’s real. And it’s mine.
So if you’re ever wondering what’s behind that clean logo or polished website? It probably started with a strong cup of coffee, a messy Google doc, and a song on repeat.
Want to see the playlists I work to or the tools that keep the chaos in check? Drop a comment—I’ll share the good stuff.
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