Find Your Creative

Written by: Tiana Regan

Recently, me and some office mates were chit-chatting about our high school experiences, the friends we hung out with, cliques that surrounded our schools and the different personalities those people embodied while we were growing up.  Keep in mind, I’m a 33 year old woman, having been out of high school for more than 10 years, but I’m almost sure that cliques haven’t really changed all that much since I was a teenager on the cusp of adulthood.  
 
It made me wonder: when did I find my creative Tiana?  

I’ll admit, I found myself rockin’ the darkest clothes and broods of heavy black eyeliner in my middle school days claiming to know witchcraft.  Or what about the time in my freshman year of high school when I wanted to reinvent myself, so I asked the teachers and friends to call me by a different name (the transition didn’t work out, I found myself ignoring the teachers who were calling me by the name in which I asked them to call me - no one said reinvention was easy).  Aside from my wicked fashion sense and failed attempt at reincarnation there are certain things that were self-evident in my personality that were just building blocks for the creative Tiana I am today:
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1.  I’ve always been a creator.  I remember doing a lot of crafts growing up.  My Mom has always been crafty and doodle-ly and we always had a sewing machine, puff paint and pens laying around the house.  (No wonder I thought I was destined to go to Fashion school.)
 

 2.  My fashion sense has never been about a particular style.  No matter if it was trendy or not, I was going to wear what made me comfortable and confident.  That is all fashion ever is - wear what makes you, you! 
 

 3.  I was always going to do nails in some way shape or form.  At about age 7, I was already asking for press-on nails and bugging my Mom to get acrylics at the salon because I wanted long nails so bad!  I used to stick clothes pins (ouch, by the way) or Bugle chips on my fingertips because I wanted long nails.
 

4.  Ok...so I never outgrew my love of black clothing or black nails!  

​I guess the real point I’m trying to make is to leave your mark!  Don’t worry about fitting in because nobody is as cool as you.  Discovering your unique, adventurous, creative you is so rewarding.  But if you ever lose your way or need a quick reminder, here’s a fun 1-page print out full of 5 of my favorite quotes that help bring me back to myself.  Cut, paste or plaster them all over your house, car or nail space.  Download your print out here.  Enjoy!