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Last month I participated in The Creative Girl panel in D.C. discussing art, fashion, and creativity with three other entrepreneurial women: art agent Nina O’Neil of Monochrome Collective, artist Dominique Fierro, and jewelry designer Sophie Blake.

Talking about our philosophies and our approaches to work with each other – and the group of women who attended – was completely inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed the questions that moderator (and PR-powerhouse) Isoke Salaam posed; here’s what I shared.

What inspires you?

Photography, architecture, traveling, movies with amazing costume design – like Gattaca.

What has molded or motivated your creative style choices?

I’ve always loved film and photography. In high school, I exclusively watched Turner Classic Movies, and I took a bunch of film classes in college. That cinematic lens has been the biggest influence on my style. It made me start thinking of styling outfits the same way you would a character’s costume design for a movie, by thinking of how it will harmonize within a larger context – the setting, activities, and other people around me – to tell a story.

How does fashion inspire your work?

I’ve spent a lot of time honing my eye for color, proportion, texture, how things will look in motion … it’s all a balance. I think that’s the greatest way fashion inspires my work in marketing and on my blog. And life in general for that matter! Everything must be in balance.

What is your favorite thing about your work?

I love connecting people, whether it’s a CEO and a reporter at my day job, or a blogger and a small business owner when I’m at influencer event.

What does fashion/art mean to you?

Art has the ability to say everything – or nothing. It can be frivolous and lighthearted, or tell a many-layered story. I love its ability to give the wearer agency over their presence – it’s a way of saying “Here I am, this is who I am,” but also its ability to conceal and be like armor. A swipe of red lipstick can be very protective in that way.

What is your first creative memory?

Dictating stories to my Mom to write down before I was old enough to write. Then I would illustrate them.

How does social media play a role in your work?

I’m a people person, and I like to stay plugged into what people are doing and experiencing. It inspires me, and of course it’s also a big part of my work as a blogger. I see it as a window into the world.

What makes you feel free?

Being on an airplane, between destinations. Especially on long-haul flights to Thailand, there’s a feeling of being in between and completely unchained from to-do lists. I can close my eyes, let the airplane do the work of getting me from point A to point B, and my mind is completely free to wander. It’s a very freeing creative space for me, mentally.

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What keeps you going?

I’m always interested in trying something new; I get bored of doing things one way after a couple years. I need a certain degree of organization in my life but I don’t need to fill in all the details. While there are goals I want to achieve through my blog and my career, I don’t have it all mapped out. It’s kind of exciting to not know and to just keep exploring the possibilities.

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Gingham sleeveless top and elbow-sleeve tipped sweater from Argent.