June was a rough month for me. I unexpectedly lost my beloved dog, an event which sent me reeling and made it hard for me to feel creative or inspired to create.
But I’ve slowly gotten my mojo back this month, and three things have really helped with that, so I wanted to share them with you.
In no particular order, I present to you what’s inspiring my creativity in July 2024!
Bridgerton, Season 3
This is a bit of a cheat because season 3 of Bridgerton came out in May and June, but I’m putting it on this list because I love the third season so much. The story of Colin and Penelope falling for each other is sooo romantic. Friends to lovers has always been one of my favorite romance tropes and the chemistry between Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan (who play Colin and Penelope) is off the charts. Watching them fall in love has made me remember why I love the romance genre so much, and I can’t wait for season 4.
Clueless
Clueless is by no means a new movie, but it’s always been one I’ve loved. I even have the dusty DVD sitting on my shelf, and the other week, I decided to pop it in my DVD player and watch it, something I haven’t done in a long time. The evolution of the relationship between Cher and Josh is fantastic, as long as I ignore the semi-ick factor of them being ex-step-siblings and the major ick factor of Cher being 16 and Josh being in college (something I didn’t even blink at when I was younger but consider quite gross now). I adore how Cher and Josh go from bickering and ribbing each other to realizing their attraction and falling for each other. They’ve got an enemies to lovers/friends to lovers trope mishmash happening, and I love it.
The Joy Luck Club
I think I’ve mentioned this on the blog before (I’m too lazy to go back through all my old posts and check), but in case I haven’t, my all-time favorite literary fiction book is The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. I loved it the first time I read it back in the nineties, and I re-read it every year to remind myself why I love it. My brother-in-law and sister even got me a first edition copy, a gift I cherish so much. I recently read it yet again because I needed a palette cleanser, and it still holds up. Amy Tan writes so beautifully about family, friends, the past, the present, and trauma. Every word of The Joy Luck Club is exquisite, and inspires me to be a better writer.
So there you have it, all the things inspiring me this month.