Anyone who knows me well is aware of my slight obsession with inspirational words and quotes. The name of this blog came to me as a random compilation of some of the inspirational words that are the most relevant to my life. This is a personal, somewhat-lengthy post to explain what exactly each word means to me.
Create.
Creativity has always been a huge part of my life. Back when I was very young, my absolute favorite activities always involved crafts of some sort, ultimately earning me the nickname “Creative Christina.” Over the course of the past seven years, my favorite place to express creativity has been the kitchen. Even when I first started cooking, I rarely followed recipes, and found so much love in experimenting with ingredients to formulate recipes of my own. As my collection of personal recipe cards grew, I experienced this warm and fuzzy feeling just from looking through them- an intuitive sign that I should continue to create and explore new ideas.
Starting this blog opened up a whole new world for me, partly because it allowed me to discover a love for photography. I get so much joy out of playing around with different scenes and props in my food photos (especially flowers!), and love it when “mistake” photos with seemingly-odd angles and approaches end up being my favorites in the bunch. The fact that I can align my passion (cooking/recipe creation) with another art that I enjoy is just so thrilling, and I am grateful to be able to share my perfectly imperfect results on here!
Due to my crazy schedule and resulting stresses, I often find it difficult to devote enough time to my passions. A mental reminder to “create” serves as motivation for me to make time for the things I love, and to express my individuality in the creative ways that make me truly happy, rather than simply going along with the basic motions of life.
It is also important to recognize that the word “create” applies to so much more than art alone. As individuals in such a complex society, many of us face struggles and voids in various aspects of our lives. But with a little motivation, we can all create happiness, love, energy, space, stillness, peace, inspiration, art, and a whole list of wonderful things, all on our own. 
Nourish.
I believe that the primary purpose of food is nourishment. Nutritious food is a big player here, along with delicious food that is soothing to our taste buds and souls. I believe that we all deserve to indulge in meals that we love, but that we should also pay attention to how we feel after we eat. We all have very unique bodies that respond differently to different foods, which is why I feel that there is no one, clear cut way of eating that works for everyone. I spent years listening to diet advice that clearly did not agree with my body, and I am certain that there are millions of individuals out there doing the same thing. No one should have to consume foods that make them feel ill, and no one should have to follow a diet that leaves them feeling deprived. I personally feel best, both mentally and physically, following a vegan lifestyle. I (obviously) avoid the foods that I am allergic to, and I limit my intake of certain foods that cause me uncomfortable symptoms. To some, it may sound like I am pretty limited, but it is my intolerances and the things I learn from dealing with them that motivate me to get creative in the kitchen, and have fun with all of the amazing foods that I never would have discovered if I didn’t have restrictions. I feel that everyone should really listen to their bodies and provide them with what ever form of nourishment suits them, whether it be sautéed veggies or chocolate cupcakes.
Overall, nourishment is not only about the food that nourishes our bodies, but also the thoughts, actions and events that nourish our minds, and the experiences and loves that nourish our souls. 
Love.
I don’t think it is possible to live a happy life without love. I am not merely referring to romance and relationships here, but love of simple things that help us through life, day by day. It is a wonderful thing to love and be loved by others, but it is also important to be able to accept and love ourselves. So many individuals (including myself) struggle with self-love, but we all need to realize that absolutely nobody is perfect, and that each of our flaws only contribute to what makes us truly beautiful, in our own unique ways. Here is a list (in no particular order) of the things that bring me the most love and joy in life, and I encourage everyone to make their own list and marvel in the gratitude it creates.
sunshine
chocolate
flowers
yoga
Spencer
mountains
music
my mom, dad, and family
art
comfy sweaters
pasta
autumn leaves
my beautiful friends
tea
sunsets
Cody and Bella
healing crystals
cookbooks
roasted vegetables
the moon and stars
lace-up shoes
warm desserts
elephants
purple anything
