Pop the Bubble.

As a student of Gordon College, a small Christian "liberal arts" college, inspiration can be very limited/limiting. Sometimes I find myself itching for something fresh....something that I can gain energy from. Having the lovely privilege of having a car on campus lets this "itch" be scratched and the bubble of familiarity be popped.

Getting a cup of coffee on Cabot Street in Beverly, Mass liberates me. The streets are filled with the young hipsters and the old hipsters....and everything in between. A man recently walked by the window of the Italian coffee shop, Trevi--wearing a Santa hat. It is almost Valentine's Day and it may seem absolutely nuts---but I guess, whatever you can find to keep you warm in this bitter cold is this most important thing to focus on.

Cabot Street is known for having a lot of artsy/indie/hippy type folk because of the local art college, yet it's not what you'd expect. The mixture of people that are drawn to this street/town constantly baffles me. There are the rich (the VERY rich), the poor (homeless/college students...), the in-between....everything you could possibly imagine. Each individual, for the most part, acts like they're raising their "I am unique" flag. Their outfits are rich with color, texture and yet look so relaxed and comfortable....

It's like a breath of fresh and energizing air....sitting here with my strawberry smoothie next to the window, on a red covered cloth chair. It's like the song...."people, people who need people...are the luckiest people...." We need to be surrounded by all different kinds--even if it intimidates us or makes us feel so far from the familiar--the bubble. This is how inspiration is born--how it can be created...

"Style" is an expression of individualism mixed with charisma."

-John Fairchild