Fourteen years ago, I launched a fashion blog into the world. It was 2012. I was 13. It didn’t really make sense, but in so many more ways, it did. 

I don’t think it’s any accident that the year I started this project, my grandpa passed away and my very first best friend moved across the country, both unexpected heartbreaks, both instant and permanent losses. It was a crash course in grief I didn’t know existed. 

Not long after, A Rose and Her Clothes was born, and I shared tips for styling fedoras and career advice from my childhood bedroom like my life depended on it. And in some ways, it did.

At the ripe age of 13, I learned that creativity is a lifeline for moving through grief and loss. We don’t like talking about these hollow, harrowing seasons, but they find each of us at one point or another, and this is how I’ve found my way through.

Something about creating through the unknown is healing. Necessary. Stabilizing. And now at 27, I continue to learn this again and again.

I didn’t have language for what it felt like to experience death for the first time, but I did have a camera and a series of outfits I thought were worth talking about. The urge to create something, to share beauty with others, to make something out of nothing (the very definition of creativity)—it captivated me. It cured some very lonely middle school nights.

This act of creating might feel silly (some of those outfit pics certainly did), but I’ve come to believe it’s sacred work. 

Because it’s rarely about the outcome and almost always about what it does in us along the way. In some divine, mysterious way, it builds resilience. Wonder. Curiosity. Faith—yes, even when talking about fashion or flooring samples or organization ideas.

When the last known place of familiarity is gone, creativity offers a safe place to discover the newness of today. Which is a lifeline when death and loss seem to abound.

A few ideas for creating in daily life, whether we’re feeling high or low:

Trying new recipes
Vlogging
Knitting
Painting
Writing
Setting a table
Building a playlist
Styling a room
Styling outfits
Taking pictures
Crafting
Scrapbooking
Arranging flowers

It all counts. And it all unlocks something essential inside of us.

It takes hope, wonder, and some belief that there is more coming, and that there is something worth capturing right where we are. That if we reach around in the darkness just long enough, some light will break through the clouds.

The beauty and wonder of today awaits. Here’s to getting a glimpse of it in the mundane, in the hard and holy mornings, and in the places we need it most. It’s waiting for us, and so is the Holy Spirit’s healing hand.

Post Scripts

— More lessons from my 13-year old blog— 

— A word for when creating feels hard—

— Want to brainstorm your creative work together? Book some time with me and let’s dive in together. 

— If you need a few little pick-me-ups this January, here are some little luxuries that are either inexpensive, free, or simply mindset shifts. These little things make a difference!