On The Firefly

While sitting in coffee shops, conversations always bloom in front of me. The slow, unrest of the baristas handling machines, shoveling out mindless small talk, middle aged women discussing husbands, varicose veins, and children’s bad grades, graphic designers meeting with mindless clients demanding for items to “pop.” This place has always seemed to be an insight into a certain demographic, not necessarily an insight into our entire culture. But always, it is a perfect place to observe the public in their vulnerable, relaxed nature.

Unlike the DMV, these shops tend to bring in a certain type of people. During the work week, people stumble in on lunch breaks (like myself), taking a breather from the florescent lights of an office, in search of a brighter and calmer atmosphere. The smell of coffee lingering through your nostrils. I tend to find most of my inspiration here, thoughts of future projects, recent reflections, kick backs on life, and rambling thoughts. Most of the time these rambling thoughts are typed into my journal, and then publicly shared on my blog. Like this one.

Whenever I make my way here, the conversations are enough of a beautiful distraction to keep me going. It can be something as simple as someone’s brief dialogue that can make its way into a future project, or something as simple as body language that will spark an idea. A nervous hair twirl, a tapping foot, those things get my brain buzzing and conversations starting.

It’s downright essential as a creative to keep your eyes and ears open to all experiences. Ask that extra question, take a second look at the mundane, connect questions with finds and perhaps find an answer. On Instagram, the favorite people I follow are not those that constantly take photos of themselves, but those that treat every day like an adventure, challenging themselves to look at the little moments that others may pass by. To see something and use our God given imagination, why wouldn’t you want to create a relationship with objects and ideas.

I love seeing a child like curiosity existing in adults. Without it, where would our creativity come from?

-James