Lately I’ve been struggling with a fundamental issue of the creative world — a block. Call it writer’s block, artist’s block, or blogger’s block, I would sit down to write and write nothing. Yet my idea journal was busting at the seams.

Sound familiar? I think we’ve all been there.

I was lamenting over my issue, trying to come up with a grand return to my bog after my hiatus, when I read a passage that struck the depths of my soul:

“The artist talks to himself out loud. If what he has to say is significant, others hear & are affected.” - Edmund Snow Carpenter, They Became What They Beheld

Artists create art for themselves and if it touches the lives of others, the artist will find people standing around them waiting to hear more. It’s the basic truth behind the success of philosophers we should all be familiar with — Aristotle, Socrates, Plato.

I think artist’s block hits us when we try to create content for the sake of pleasing everyone but ourselves. I know it’s wrong. You know it’s wrong. Yet we become a prisoner to it anyway until a message like this grabs us by the shoulders and shakes us back into our passion.

This passage struck a cord in me and has me practicing the art of art itself — I will blog about what I want, not about what I think people want.

I don’t blog to create a mass readership. I blog because it entertains me and provides an outlet for my need to write, create, and share. It’s so great that you’re here.

And with that said, I’m back!

 Image source: 1

A very belated weekly update this Monday!

I grabbed a load of clothes at Dorothy Perkins a few weeks ago during a huge 70% off sale they were having. I don’t really do hauls, but they were all tops I needed for work and the hotter weather.

It was my first time purchasing from Dorothy Perkins, and I’m pretty disappointed with the quality. It reminds me very much of Forever 21. However, the price I can’t complain about!

I spent a lot of time organizing the apartment again. The office was moved around yet again, my desk was reorganized, pictures were finally put in frames, and the bedroom was finally adorned with artwork and flowers.

The bedroom has actually been the hardest for me to decorate. For six months there has been nothing but a bed in our bedroom. Yikes! But now there are flowers, candles, artwork, frames, etc. It’s starting to feel much more like a place where I can relax.

I still need to add my reading nook into the bedroom, and then I’ll consider it complete. (And maybe a few more candles.)

I’ll try to take some pictures of the other changes for next week. It’s been a while since I promised pictures of the decorating! Again, it’s nowhere near done, but it’s getting there.

And that’s all I did last week. I hope everyone else enjoyed it!

• Last year, udon noodle soup was my staple and I ate it nearly every day. I made it last week for the first time in ages and I’m putting it back in as a staple dish. Yum! I absolutely love it.
• I picked up another Essie polish in the shade Eternal Optimist. This is very similar to OPI’s Dulce de Leche, which is a favorite of mine but kind of a shame. Although it does have a tad more pink than Dulce de Leche, I thought it would be on the lighter side and it came out quite dark.
• My BFF sent me a package! Everything inside had an incredibly personal and sentimental meaning. I laughed. I cried. I held a physical book instead of an e-reader for the first time in ages. And this is why I have the best BFF in the world.
• I worked on my wedding website for what seemed like every single second I had free. I fixed up the header and I’m nearly done with the informational pages. I’m putting a lot of love into this simple thing, as you can imagine! I drew a lot of the design by hand, when I would normally just use freebies. Here is a tiny preview. It’s not perfect, but I can live with it. (Perfectionist here…)
• Updated my iMac to Mountain Lion, which made me happy. Having my phone, tablet, and computer syncing effortlessly is beyond amazing. I feel like my “computer” is everywhere with me, at all times. My fiancé says it’s creepy, but I say who cares. It’s so convenient! Apple, you have my soul.

Hope everyone else had a great week!

• This past week was somewhat of a blur.
• We had some good news come in as a result of a previous setback.
• This allowed me to do some shopping. Let’s just say I went all out with this tray set up from Target I was contemplating over last week. Pictures to come for another post.
• Lunch at the park.
• Bought some curtains for the office, realized finding a pair for our living room will be a challenge. (I think I’m going to have to hang the curtain bar higher… Anyone have a latter?)
• Dorothy Perkins was having an irresistible sale and I snagged a handful of beautiful items for next to nothing.  It was my first time ordering from them, so I hope my size works out. Check out their website, they just put new items on sale. (It figures they would do this the day after I place my order.)
• Saw Dark Knight Rises on Friday with coworkers and again on Saturday with my fiancé. (Incredibly, stupendously happy with its ending.)
• Spent Saturday “re-experiencing” the Friday night PF Chang’s I had post-movie with coworkers. Not. Fun.
• My weekend mostly consisted of playing this beauty. It’s been a while since I’ve played anything at all, so I’m excited to be preordering Guild Wars 2 this week. I’ll be playing a human engineer. I’ll even have a monocle! Very steampunk-esque, I love it. Even my desktop has converted.
• In my spare time I started and finished Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, my latest book club read. It was an average book, fun but not exceptional. You can read my full review here. And if you’re also a bookworm, friend me on Goodreads!