Turns Out, We Kept That for a Reason

There are things we keep without ever really deciding to keep them.

At the time, they are just little things.

Then six months later, they are sitting beside you while you name a brand, build a moodboard, write a campaign, choose a color, or try to explain a feeling you have not quite found words for yet.

That is the funny thing about inspiration. It rarely announces itself when it arrives.

Around ENC, each of us has our own version of this. Something we have saved recently simply because it made us feel something. And somewhere along the way, those scraps have found their way back into the work.

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Jessica:

I am not someone who saves things. I do not have a scrapbook, a box of keepsakes, or a vision board covered in scraps and references. Instead, the things I save tend to be useful, wearable, or tactile. Jewelry became the real collection. It started while I was traveling, when I realized I could carry a memory home without filling a suitcase with souvenirs. A ring, necklace, or pair of earrings could hold the feeling of a market, a conversation, a street, or a season of my life. I may not save much, but I save the things that let me wear the memory.

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Lanya:

Im a collector at heart. Anything that visually inspires or has any sentimental value, I will tuck away into my purse to save for later. Something I recently saved was a coaster from a speakeasy type bar that had a fun lil illustration on it. It not only was a source of inspiration but also a momento of my trip for me to think back on and remember all the special memories created! As a designer, it taught me how designs can have such an impact on people's memories + feelings which I use as as a reminder to myself to create special lil gems for whoever is looking (or keeping!).

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Elizabeth:

I visited a bookstore in Cortina d' Ampezzo, Italy, and I can't bring myself to throw away this paper bag! The shop was so beautiful with such a robust collection of books, and I appreciated the old-world, heraldry feeling of this stamp that they put on the bag itself. Typography and the creation of letterforms is truly such an intricate art, and these letters are so beautifully illustrated that I just feel bad having it end up in a landfill. If you ever get a present from me and it's wrapped in this paper bag ... just know it comes with love! ;)

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Marly:

I saved a luggage tag from the airport! While I travel home multiple times a year, I never think to save small pieces from the trip. This has tight me that even the routine and the ritual of going home always holds different and special meanings. And sometimes you don’t always need to reinvent the wheel. Home reminds me to sit back, listen and let the surroundings speak to you!

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Channing:

Just this week I got some hardware in the mail for some home updates we're doing! The brand sent their hardware in beautiful little boxes with some nice tissue that I will be holding onto. Getting something in the mail already feels so fun to me, but when it has a clear personality and tells a story about a brand it makes it even more special. I love holding onto things that inspire the way I think about how brands we touch at ENC are presented!

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Ellyse:

Just this week I got some hardware in the mail for some home updates we're doing! The brand sent their hardware in beautiful little boxes with some nice tissue that I will be holding onto. Getting something in the mail already feels so fun to me, but when it has a clear personality and tells a story about a brand it makes it even more special. I love holding onto things that inspire the way I think about how brands we touch at ENC are presented!

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