"When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressive creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and opens ways for a better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it and shows there are still more pages possible." -Robert Henri, 1923

For my second post with the HP Spectre, I’m pointing my lens toward creativity. Or rather, what motivates creativity and do you have the right tools to make your inspiration come to life?

Let’s start with a little context:

I left my day job a few months ago because I felt creatively stifled. The passion I once had for the work kinda fizzled and I became… robotic (I’d say a warm robot, but stiff none-the-less). It wasn’t challenging me the way it should. I wasn’t inspired or engaged.

So I left.

Now that I work for myself, I have discovered that staying creative is a job in itself. It’s this curious exercise. A muscle you have to flex.

You’re not just suddenly an ‘artist’ who can produce work at a moment’s notice. You have to seek out inspiration, to force yourself to look at the world through a different lens and to find new ways to tell a story. You can’t copycat or do the same thing twice.

Everything has to be a new discovery.

So where do I find inspiration?

I start by leaving my house. Even if I have nowhere to go. I grab my camera and my computer and go somewhere. I work from my desk, my bed, my sofa, the coffee shop around the corner, the park, the coffee shop in the West Village that I go to when I’m sick of the coffee shop around the corner… I never stop moving.

(It helps that I’m carrying the world’s thinnest laptop. They say New Yorkers walk an average of 7 miles per day, so the less weight on my back, the better!)

One of the best pieces of advice I heard as a blogger was to always view the world like a tourist. Even when you’re home.

When you’re on vacation, you take photos of different things, you wear different things, you are curious, all the time. Just finding food becomes an adventure. You notice architecture and people.

It’s easy to forget how beautiful and unique New York City can be, but if you stay curious, you will always be inspired.

If I'm looking for inspiration in the beautiful things around me, I can start with the laptop I’m typing on right now. The ash colored frame of the Spectre match by grey sheets perfectly (don't you think?!). I have Tove Lo’s Cool Girls playing on repeat through the Bang & Olufsen sound system and I'm going to watch Netflix in Full HD as soon as this is posted, so talk about inspiration! lol.

Working on the HP Spectre over the last few weeks has really streamlined my creative process. It's easy to use, which keeps me focused on the work and always creating something new. I feel motivated and productive-- like an eternal optimism for what's to come.

So what keeps you motivated and creative? Are you an adventure seeker or do you find inspiration from another source? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear your story.

*This post is in collaboration with HP. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. (Except that quote at the beginning... but I totally agree with Robert Henri's thought. So there's that..)

Creative Reinvention