I’ve been wondering what my next blog post would be after almost a year of not writing and six months without an outfit photo on social media. I almost wrote the word neglecting as that's how it feels most of the time, and there may be some truth to that.

This past year, there have been times I’ve been down on myself for not contributing more to this space that I created so long ago and hold so much love for. I could share many reasons or explanations as to why I didn’t write, find the time, or prioritize this brand, but the simple truth is that it wasn’t fulfilling me in the way it used to.

Don’t get me wrong. There is a difference between something not fulfilling you anymore and that fulfillment feeling different. Priorities shift, capacity changes, and creativity ebbs and flows. In this case, it is the latter.

Rather than just jumping back into writing about shoes or this year’s holiday gift guide, I kept thinking of ways I could write about why I haven’t been writing. And then I realized I just needed to write the truth. The majority of the reason is that I’ve been filling my time, energy, and space with other things - I’ve been out living, saying yes to things, trying new experiences, meeting people, and working - a lot. I’ve been building other brands, growing a team, and trying to keep up with just being a wife, friend, and daughter.

My absence from this space isn’t a reflection of my dedication to it or passion for wanting it to continue, but rather a representation of the other sides of my life that are being filled. Absence isn’t always negative, and yes, I do wish I would’ve shared more or kept writing, but then I think about all the concerts I attended, the date nights with my husband, the traveling we did, feeling the moments we were in rather than worrying about the photos of them or the blog post I needed to write after work.

This past year of not being present here has taught me so much about the importance of presence in general. So many of the blog posts on this site are truly important to me and filled with words that were and remain a part of me, but others are fillers and things that I wrote because I felt like I needed another blog post up, rather than actually providing value.

One of the lessons I’m learning is that our time is everything and we don’t get it back. There is nothing we can do to get more of it - we can’t buy it, trade it, reverse it, or do anything to pause it. I’m quickly understanding the importance of doing things you’re passionate about, spending your time where you want to cultivate the most and where you get the most value out of it. For a while, The Creative Brief wasn’t that.

That is difficult to write, but it is true. To become who I needed to be and grow further in several aspects, I needed to allow myself the space. It sounds dramatic because I realize we’re talking about a fashion and lifestyle blog, but deep in these digital pages are essentially my journal entries for the past seven years. Admitting that it wasn’t as important to me as it used to be feels like I’m abandoning it, but what I’ve learned from the time away, is that I’m abandoning the parts of it that don’t bring value to me - the yearning for the validation of others, the numbers game of always looking for more followers, readers, subscribers, sales, and the deprioritization of other aspects of my life.

I want this space to be fun again and a place where people learn things, find pieces they love, pick up a book or travel recommendation, and feel creative. The last year has looked different and been pretty quiet, but this post is to bring back the creativity, the fashion, the writing, and, of course, the champagne-filled stories. I love y’all and if you made it this far, thank you for reading. xx