Step Inside the Gallery
For when your brain feels full of cotton balls
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It has been raining a lot in New Orleans lately, and it is making it really hard to not spend all of my time curled up on the couch. I have a very long to-do list and feel myself drifting… and drifting… further away from getting things done.
I’ve honestly found everything to be exhausting lately and have had a hard time scrambling up enough motivation to get things done and be where I need to be.
I’m sure others can relate to this. Not only does the news have depressing story after depressing story, but I find myself in a loop of feeling like I am constantly behind, rather than appreciating where I am currently and all of the great things I have been doing.
Sometimes it feels like I am stuck in mud, and with every step forward I sink in a little deeper. My brain feels fuzzy, like it’s full of cotton balls, and despite having a bunch of creative ideas swirling around, I can’t seem to make myself do them. I figured it is better to share more of the struggle that happens behind the scenes so others don’t feel alone (like I have). It’s easy to put on a brave face and force yourself to go to things and be where you need to be, but sometimes it’s okay to just sit in the uncomfortable.
One constant, though, that always gets me through is good design. I’m honestly not sure what I would be if I wasn’t in the creative design field. It’s one of the things that lifts me up when I am feeling down, and even when I am in a creative rut myself, I can always be sure that someone else is creating something amazing and inspiring that I can admire (and learn from).
There is no greater feeling to me than when I hit a flow state and am able to really accomplish an idea and see it through. Spending hours camped out behind a computer screen problem-solving, conceptualizing, and creating is my favorite place to be, despite sometimes feeling like I’ll never hit the mark (thanks, imposter syndrome). So I gotta say, not having the motivation that I know is in there has been tough. I am just focusing on what I can, spending time with loved ones, and spending some time outside (when there’s a break in the rain).
I’ve also been finding comfort in smaller rituals at home. Another thing that has been uplifting me through this creative dry spell is decorating my new space. One thing I noticed when cleaning out my grandparents’ house is that wayyyy too many people save “nice” things for special occasions. Carefully wrapped china passed from generation to generation that no one wants to touch or actually use, fine silver decor and serving pieces tucked away in cabinets and never shown off except for the occasional party. The generations before us were more into hosting than we seem to be, but one trend I’ve noticed recently (particularly during my time in Europe) is that people are starting to open up their homes again. Turn dinner parties and wine nights into an event with thought and consideration in every detail.
This is something that was lost for a while during the pandemic, and although I still have yet to host, I have a laundry list of dinner party and hosting ideas that I plan to bring to life at some point. Now that I sidetracked and got off track, I had a point, which is that I decided I wanted to actually display and use my nice pieces rather than save them for a rainy day. Using silver candle votives on my coffee table, putting pretty display pieces on a shelf, using that pretty marble cheese board as a decor piece. A lot of us collect things, but we don’t use them. And that’s a shame!
Another thing that never ceases to inspire me is a trip to the museum, particularly a good art museum. It’s a place where I can always find inspiration (even in an exhibit I’ve seen over and over). I find myself drawn to the textures, compositions, color play, and imagination. In a post back in March, I curated a small digital gallery of pieces that had popped up and remained in my mind, so I thought I’d revisit that and share more.
Step inside my (digital) gallery, and take some time to peruse!
If you’ve been feeling a little stuck lately too, I hope something here sparks something small!
Until next time,
Bailey x
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And if you’d like to work together on a creative project in 2026, feel free to email me at bailey@staticcatstudio.com