May 6, 2016

Journal: No Bad Vibes




The best kinds of conversations are those that never really end--the ones that still keep you thinking about what was said, the ones that you pick up and put back down for days and weeks to come. Creativity (the idea of having it, or the state of being in it) is a reoccurring theme that pops up into our conversations frequently. Some of you may even remember a previous blog post in which I talked about creativity--and how we thought we had run out of it or had lost it. As if it were some superpower, we hoped that creativity would magically come back into our hands as we continued to wield our cameras. It struck me recently though that maybe our creative powers were never really lost. Maybe in actuality, all that had really changed was our perspective on the world.



j: skylark venice moto jacket, suburban riot good vibes t-shirt, toms travelers sunglasses, vans perforated leather slip ons, h&m hat 


For the past year, we felt that we had "lost" our creativity. The more jaded we became, the less motivated we were to capture our adventures. Looking back on our blog, everything and anything used to be an adventure to us--from romping around abandoned back alleys (in fact the more grimey the better!), to backcombing streets to catch the last rays of the sunset. Every tiled floor, non-red brick wall, or lush plant excited us. At some point though, nothing seemed novel or exciting anymore. Everywhere in LA became been-there-done-that, so we dreamed of greater adventures--believing and hoping that these would rejuvenate and jumpstart our adventurous spirits. We blamed LA. We blamed our jobs. We blamed the weather. We even blamed creativity itself. Therefore, logically, if we got out of LA, away from our jobs, away from the miserable weather, we'd be able to "be" creative again. We took to the faraway lands of Portland and the more accessible Central California--hoping and praying for some miraculous aha moment to strike us like lightening. 

For fear of sounding snobby, I won't say that the trips to Portland and to Central California did nothing for us, because every trip together has given us memories and experiences that we will never take for granted. We just didn't get that jolt of inspiration we were hoping for. Now in hindsight, I realize that nothing was ever really wrong with Portland or even with LA. What was wrong was our attitude towards the world. With our noses so high up in the air, we couldn't see beyond our own bullshit. For a year, we've been stewing in a sea of harsh and critical judgement of our surroundings. Nothing was deemed beautiful anymore. Nothing was worth capturing on our cameras anymore. It seems that we've just been going through the motions so that we wouldn't completely stop the idea of being creative. 

This particular moment on the beach though seemed to have awoken something within me. From the photos, it appears like another average trip to the beach for us, but average it was not! For the past half a year, our relationship has returned to a commuter relationship--seeing each other only between late Friday nights and early Monday mornings. A Wednesday night date was unheard of, but that day in March, we both drove about two hours to make this happen. After months of not seeing the ocean, I couldn't stop smiling when we arrived. The first sight of the sky meeting the ocean took my breath away. Suddenly, nothing else in the world mattered. The only thing that mattered was that we were together, on a Wednesday afternoon in March, on the beach. I even remember telling him as we watched this sunset that I couldn't believe that we were holding hands on a Wednesday. Even though we've frequented this beach many times before, the beach at that moment was so indescribably beautiful. It felt new and exciting again. I once again felt compelled to shoot all the small things and all the big things so that I would remember that we were holding hands on a Wednesday. There were definitely very good vibes everywhere that day. 

"Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with things you see and everything to do with the way you see them." 
--Elliot Erwitt

62 comments:

  1. Great to see that you're back! Love the quote as it summarises the conclusion that you have arrived at. I'll be back in LA during the second half of this month. If you're both around, it would be great to see you again and go for a drink! Best, Anouk

    LUXESSED

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  2. Yes girl... No bad vibes
    New post
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  3. Lovely reflection on creativity, and such a good quote at the end. It's all about perspectives! Xx

    www.thefashionfolks.com

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  4. Awesome positive post and gorgeous pictures!

    xo
    www.carinavardie.com

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  5. i love these pictures! they are so beautiful !

    http://www.carolinapinglo.com/

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  6. Love the moto jacket! So let's change the attitude. Shoot not for your collection but for us to appreciate. Let us do the art!

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  7. what a pretty time to be at the ocean! cute photos!

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  8. I take 'creativity' as one of the most important things to have, and it's really nice that you had time to deeply think about it at that beautiful beach!
    xx

    KayleeㅣJK's Dawn

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  9. Amazing photos!! x

    Liz
    www.raw-shrimp.com

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  10. This looks so peaceful! I wish I was there right now!

    https://forsevenseasons.wordpress.com

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  11. Perfect top for THE most perfect setting! Love these shots.

    Shauna

    www.lipglossandlace.net

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  12. I really enjoyed to read your post and the last quote was just damn right!


    Alexandra ~ Impavid Blog

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  13. beautifully said. beautifully photographed! :D

    Have a great week ahead!
    Animated Confessions

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  14. Gorgeous pics as always! Loving the lighting and I need that shirt! Good vibes always!!

    <3 Shannon
    Upbeat Soles

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  15. You guys always take the best photos, love the sunset
    xo
    www.laurajaneatelier.com

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  16. These pictures are so beautiful! You look so cool!

    jointyicroissanty

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  17. This was a really inspiring post and the photos of the ocean were the perfect accompaniment! I'm so pleased you got to spend some time with your partner in such a beautiful place.

    Musings & More

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  18. This is so pretty and totally makes me miss the beach! <3

    xo,

    Emma
    http://www.sassystreet.com

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  19. Looks like a great trip! Glad you are seeing things with new eyes and getting your creativity back.

    Amy Ann
    Straight A Style

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  20. Thank you for this wonderful post!


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  21. Great pictures and love this post. Life is an adventure, dear. It all depends on how we see it :)

    www.nomoretulips.blogspot.com

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  22. Beautiful and positive post, awesome pics. Happy new week, doll.
    xox
    Lenya
    FashionDreams&Lifestyle

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  23. Beautiful pictures of the beach! Happy to hear it has reignited your creativity!

    xo, Jackie
    stylemydreams.com

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  24. I hope the trip was enough for a good well of creativity to last you a long time. It's so nice to hear the distance you will go to keep your relationship strong!

    xx Yasmin
    http://banglesandbungalows.com

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  25. Such beautiful photos! Hope to see you back!

    Tina
    www.justatinabit.com

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  26. Beautiful setting and great look! Love the photos! =)


    - Cielo
    Mermaid in Heels

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  27. I'm glad you're back Jasmine! And I can totally understand what you've mentioned in your post! I also feel uninspired sometimes and I also blame myself/place where I'm now/working life for that! But sometimes it's good to take a few steps back in order to move forward :) Hope you're feeling better by now! xo Vivian

    www.twoward.com

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  28. Creativity and perspective definitely go hand and hand! Sometimes you have to be uninspired for some time to become inspired once again x

    http://www.insearchofsheila.com

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  29. beautiful photos and beautiful words. I really enjoyed reading this.

    www.prettyinleather.net

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  30. Amazing shot! Love your blog babe x

    http://mollyx.com.au/

    xx Molly

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  31. Stunning shots!! Very interesting read!

    Adi xx
    www.fancycorrectitude.com

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  32. Loving the newfound positivity in this post! The photos are incredible as well. :)

    Best,
    Christina

    Looks by Lau

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  33. What a beautiful post. I love this quote: "What was wrong was our attitude towards the world." It's so true. You can do something 100 times but the thing that matters is your attitude, your gratefulness, your entire mindset. The hard part is keeping that positive attitude in mind. Wishing you the best! :]

    // ▲ itsCarmen.com ▲

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  34. Jasmine your pics are so good. I really enjoy your instagram feed and how you creatively capture small little scenes of every day life. I feel the way you described here, very uninspired. I'm always thinking if only this or that, then I could take better pictures. But there are many talented people who can make something most people's eyes would quickly gaze over look interesting or beautiful. And I think you are one of them!

    xx freshfizzle

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  35. Love it!
    fefaliciousss.altervista.org

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  36. Your outfit is so cute and casual! Really like a good comfy outfit. That first pic of the ocean is so beautiful. I really want to go to a beach right now x

    www.wildfirecharm.com

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  37. Good for you guys for taking a step back and analyzing your perspective- and it sounds like you've started the process of righting the ship!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  38. Good luck guys! Also, beautiful photos :)

    xo, mikéla / simplydavelyn.com

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  39. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  40. Beautiful photos

    http://peasofus.blogspot.hr/

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  41. Powerful post.. Probably the best one I've read all week. Thank you for being so raw and candid in your writing. I relate to this very much. There is another quote I think you will like, "Beauty is everywhere in everything, but not everyone sees it..." ;)

    XOXO
    kellmenow | http://www.kellmenow.com/blog/2016/5/27/adore-me-adore-you
    Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/kell_menow/
    Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/kellmenow/?fref=ts
    Twitter | https://twitter.com/kell_menow
    BlogLovin | https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/blog-kellmenow-14252307

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  42. This post totally resonates with me because I have lately come to realize how much my sense of creativity and happiness are related to my perspective. One of the reasons I moved up to Portland was because I kept blaming LA for being too boring, having bad weather, etc. But looking back I've realized that I was just burnt out and needed time to refresh. This was such a good post for me to read because I've been feeling the same way about Portland lately, and maybe I just need to adopt a more positive attitude to truly enjoy this city.

    -Helen
    Sweet Helen Grace

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  43. Always, always, always good vibes from creativity ;) Awesome photos as always!

    http://www.pret-a-reporter.co.uk/blog/

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  44. The pictures are so gorgeous!! the light is just perfect!!!

    ❥ Vicky | The Golden Bun - Instagram TGB 

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  45. Really great post
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  46. I love beach, when you are down, face the sea and shout loudly, that's great.

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