The Muse
Spring; this time of year, The Muse and I are always dancing. Sometimes I feel like I am sitting it out. Other times, she pulls me onto the floor to tango. Other times I go looking for her, knowing that we need to embrace, lock in, and two-step, because engaging in a creative way of life is when I feel my best.
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I am always running a short list of things that I find inspiring. Here is what’s on it right now:
Romance; whether it’s tv (bingeing Outlander) or movies (Wuthering Heights is up next), I am drawn to themes of age-old romance in an old-fashioned-y kind of way
Music; I finally saw Florence and The Machine on Saturday. She had been on my concert bucket list for a while, and it was every bit as magical as I assumed it would be. I’ve also been making some fun playlists on Spotify. It kind of takes me back to the days of making mix tapes in the 90’s. Highly recommend.
Poetry; recently reading Andrea Gibson, and also composing a few random poems here and there when the mood hits in my notes app on my phone.
Far flung travel; for now no tickets booked and no plans made. Might be 2027. But still…..dreaming up some ideas to visit some dreamy places.
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Oh, and ofc, photography. Here are some shots from a session I did lately, which felt very inherently “romantic” itself.
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One area of inspo where I am struggling a bit? Cooking. Some weeks I’m on it. Other weeks, it’s a drag. I usually peruse my cookbooks and plan meals on Saturday, so that I can shop and meal prep on Sunday. Here is a recipe I pulled straight from Danielle Walker’s book Against All Grain, which I found years ago when I was having some gut health issues. I’ll be revisiting it this week, since it seems pretty easy and I’ll be busy shooting a good bit of the week.
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Mexican Chicken Chowder
Ingredients;
+ 2 lbs Chicken thighs (I am using rotisserie to speed up the process)
+ 2 c. Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
+4 c. Chicken broth
+ 3 c. Peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (I’ll likely just leave the skins on)
+ 2 c. Diced Carrots
+ 2 tsp. Fresh lime juice
+1 tsp. Minced Garlic
+1/2 tsp sea salt
+ 2 c. Chopped spinach
+ Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro and avocado slices
Method:
Place salsa, broth, sweet potatoes, carrots, lime, garlic and salt in a stockpot over medium heat
Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for one hour over medium-low heat
Scoop 2 c of vegetables from the soup and place in a blender with 1/4 c of the broth. Puree then add back to the soup
Add in pulled rotisserie chicken and spinach and simmer until spinach is wilted, about 10 min.
Serve hot with garnish.
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Hope this helps stimulate a little creative and inspired living for the week ahead. As always, thanks for following along!
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Xoxo,
Gina
Gina D. Graham, LCSW is a Clinical Social Worker and a Women’s Portrait Photographer in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. Gina is always looking for inspiration in nature, photography, music, and poetry, and believes that living an inspired and romanticized life on the daily is the way to ensure that life doesn’t pass her by. For more info about Gina and her work, visit www.lifelensandlove.com
