Silly Little Luxuries

It’s a new year, clean slate and like most people I’m reflecting on the previous year. Examining what I feel I did well and what parts of my lifestyle need improvement. Creatively, I felt a bit lost and unsure where to go from here in regards to the Create with Gusto brand. I still love photography but I really just need a break from what seems like the near-constant hustle.

I have another job that is a bit more stable and provides “enough” to maintain my current lifestyle. Would I be able to upgrade that lifestyle to taking lavish or multiple European vacations in a year? No, but I get by just fine traveling whenever the opportunity presents myself and not feeling like I can’t cover my basic daily needs which is something I know a lot of people are struggling with right now, and for that I am grateful every day.

I need to simplify. Create with Gusto has always been too many things because I had so many ideas, so this year I am going to pivot my focus to Event Photography with some light Content Creation with brands and not feel like I’m doing a disservice to my business because I’m not doing dozens of brand shoots a month. I’m in a creative rut and I need to be honest with myself about it instead of forcing it.

Forcing my creative juices to the thing that “makes money,” leaves me feeling empty and unsatisfied. When I look back on this year, the thing that brought me the most joy was expressing myself through my wardrobe and taking chances instead of falling into the “flattering” trap. Wearing what I like because I like it and not because someone told me to like it. Focusing in on little details and little luxuries, how the softness of a cashmere sweater feels against my skin; the warm hue that my surroundings take on through the orange tinted lenses of cheap Target glasses I picked up on a whim; and even down to drinking every beverage out of a monogrammed glass instead of the can it comes in.

Oh so soft cashmere.

Fancy glassware makes drinks taste better.

Every day looks like an Italian summer if you’re wearing the right sunglasses.

Is it silly? Maybe. Life is too short and too hard not to embrace the silly little things we do to that make us happy. I’ve never been one to keep a journal but I want to write more about my life and these silly little things I do. It’ll be a practice of gratitude and maybe will inspire someone to do their own versions of these silly little things. To start, here are my INs and OUTs of 2024.

IN
Mending clothes over buying new
One art study per week - ideally something tactile
Reading outside
Daily walks
Unfollowing accounts that make me feel envious or ungracious
Cooking at home
Outfit repeating (daily photo)
Complimenting/talking to strangers
Lighting candles (I have so many that I never use!)
Allowing space to be bored and not on my phone
Hosting dinner parties

OUT
Mindless scrolling before bed
Overthinking
Rushing to be “done”
FOMO
Buying things because I am bored/creatively unfulfilled
Sleeping with makeup on
Coffee first thing in the morning.