gold leaf creative: flowers & calligraphy

Photos by Brittny Rene Photo

This week, two of my friends and I launched an instagram project --Gold Leaf Creative-- to document our "creative growth projects" (as I'm labeling it).  

 2017 Update: Now we have moved the account to be an official floral business, run by Sarah -- @goldleaffloral. I have a calligraphy account @swanlindseylettering, and you can find Brittny @brittnyrenephoto! 

​We have all been learning and doing event planning/floral design/calligraphy/photography here and there, but never really felt like we had arrived as master artists.  Well, duh! We aren't! But one night at a girls night we decided that shouldn't be holding us back, and we should work on more projects together. 

"Perfectionism is the enemy of learning, creativity, and innovation."

"Have the courage to be imperfect."

I've been reading a lot of Brené Brown quotes on perfectionism this week, and each one perfectly articulates everything I know to be true (but just didn't have the knowledge and words to explain.) I'm not even sure if that quote above is hers or just a paraphrase (thanks, unreliable internet), but it's the same message I keep coming across. 

I've lived for many years as a big-time perfectionist... (four years ago, I even wrote a very long-winded blog series about it.) Now I'm trying to have a Growth Mindset for the rest of my life... and embracing the idea that things are "good enough for now." That's also extremely difficult to embrace with calligraphy... an art based on drills and writing that looks, well, PERFECT.

We launched our project on Valentine's Day, and we all worked with mushy quotes and red roses more than we probably ever have or ever will! haha. (Not a red-rose gal over here.)  Even still, I really liked how it all turned out.  It is totally good enough for now. ​

Photos by Brittny Rene Photo

Floral Design: Sarah Woodall - @goldleaffloral
Photography: Brittny Miracle -  @brittnyrenephoto
Calligraphy: Yours truly. -  @swanlindseylettering