I love the whole realm of design, decorating, rearranging, making something from nothing, reinventing what you’ve already got.

The whole concept of Interior Design as a vocation/business is just since the last century, although people have been designing and decorating their abodes since the family began.

Numerous of these early, leading ladies of decorating had no real training. They were self-taught. Taught by what they liked, and weren’t afraid to try something new and different. They created all kinds of beautiful rooms, absolutely unique, one-of-a-kind designs that people today are in awe over. Many books have been written about them showcasing pictures of their works.

Interestingly enough, many of these ladies (and they were beautiful women!) had very unhappy childhoods, family lives and were married multiple times. Reading their stories firsthand, they stated all they wanted was a secure home to raise their family with the love they never received.

It seems they decorated not for money or fame, but for heart and beauty. The beauty they created quelled the angst in their hearts, and gave them peace – and something to do that brought comfort and care to themselves, their families and their guests.

They pulled out the stops and went all out! They let nothing limit them, after all it was their home, their family, their life.

People over the years have sought to copy and replicate their style – lauding them as ‘the greats’ of decorating…attempting to dissect how they did it. But really they were just like you and me…doing what they loved in their own way, not patterning themselves after somebody else, although I’m sure they were inspired by others as we are, but they poured their heart and energies into all they did and for that we love them!

What are some things you love to do with all your heart?

‘That’s why I went to school all those years! I’m through learning and memorizing. I need a break!’

I didn’t say learn or memorize, I said – Think!

‘I’m afraid to think, what if I think up something wrong or different or unpopular? What would people think of me?’  – That’s why we need to think.

Thinking is part of the process of reasoning. Deciding what is true, false, what will work for you and what won’t; what your skills, likes, dislikes, habits, patterns of life are. You have to think to understand about you…to know you better, and then with that confidence you can think and understand about others and other things, and decisions made by others and whether you think they are right for you.

We have to not be afraid to think…to think about life…to think about death…to think about good…to think about evil. We need to shut everything off and just allow our own selves to think. Not think what someone else told us to think about, or what the news tells us to think about, or social media galore is hollering at us.

Tune all that out, and think with your own mind and see what happens. It might be scary at first – even at second. But eventually all the clamor and other noises and voices will begin to quiet down and you can hear and recognize your own true thoughts.

Train yourself by yourself to be yourself and develop yourself to become your best self!

I dare you to do it!

What is the status quo? ‘I mean, I don’t want to make waves or stand out, I just want to fit in.’

I see the status quo as sort of a state of limbo. We’re just going along with what’s popular, what everyone else is doing, letting others think for us, basically not putting forth any effort to think our own creative thoughts and ideas…’What if no one likes them?’; ‘What if it takes too much effort to do my idea?’; ‘Why bother, let someone else worry about it.’; ‘Leave well-enough alone.’ ‘Stuff’s okay as it is right now.’

These are all thoughts of an inactive mind. A mind that has stopped growing. It has come to a standstill. It is only allowing others to add their input, and is not thinking enough to stretch and give out its own thoughts and ideas.

What makes you think your ideas are no good? Why can’t you voice your ideas? How was the first bridge or train engine built? Somebody had to think about the inconvenience of driving 100’s of miles upstream to cross the river. Somebody had to think about the inconvenience of using only a wagon or barge to haul lots of product. The train solved a lot of problems and it needed bridges to cross. And yes, there was a lot of opposition and people saying they were dumb, unfeasible ideas. But the ‘idea person’ could see it and kept at it. He caught the vision and saw it from the start.

I’m remembering the story of two great sisters in NY who saw a need for better laundromats. The average laundomat was outdated in equipment and design…who really wanted to go there to hopefully get their clothes clean? These two gals started their own laundromat with state of the art washer and dryers. The place was beautiful to go to. They discovered other needs for their new clients and branched out. No status quo laundromat. It was an idea, turned into a dream, based on a need they saw, that became reality.

Your creative mind can do and accomplish anything! Allow yourself to think, scheme and plan a better life for you and yours!

Start! Now!!