"Getting inspired" without social

7 ways to drop the phone and beat the algo.

So after I wrote the piece on the Ezra Klein podcast, with my recs for de-algo-ing, supplemented by a host of additions from all of you in the comments (I love you, in case that’s not already clear), some of you asked specifically about finding style inspiration apart from social, like HOW EXACTLY. Which I really understand.

In my day job as a creative director my background is actually writing, not the visual side, but I always start with visual mood boarding. I feel very able to get inspired by a visual idea in this context, often something in art or architecture. I can translate this into a concept that a team can rally around.

But in style world, where my footing is so much less certain, I totally cannot. Maybe I can go backwards, for example, seeing the Dries van Noten movie, once he explains it I can “get” how the inspiration comes to life. But I need hand holding in style world. So watching an old Liz Taylor movie, I might have a more literal takeaway, like —” oh, I want to resuscitate that lingerie inspired dress.” But I can’t imagine being inspired to dress or curate by the gestalt of it, the way a stylist might.

Still there are some tools I actually can and do use, apart from social, to get inspired in actionable ways. Here they are, and I’d love to hear any of yours in the comments, too.