We recently connected with Sandra Espinet and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sandra, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
Not everyone has creativity block. I am lucky to be one of those with more ideas and more creativity than I could execute. Creative ideas are not my issue, my head is abundant with ideas. Albeit, not all of them are good one ideas. The issue is execution and finding the time to accomplish them all. Time is the only barrier that keeps me in check. Getting the ideas out of your head and into the real world is the challenge. I always have a fun mental project or two going. Related to my work as an interior designer, having the ability to be creative on demand and being able to continually come up with fresh ideas is imperative. It has been a handy gift since design clients come for new perspectives and part of my job is to be able to instantly feel and know what is right. Over the years I have honed that skill and I’v learned to narrow things down and curate my ideas into reality. I continually find inspiration talking to other creative friends who think outside of the box.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Sandra Espinet is an award winning, international interior designer and lifelong traveler. She has lived in 9 countries and has traveled extensively throughout South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Her experiences have given her the opportunity to indulge in many cultures and given her the opportunity to explore many cultures and architecture styles.
Sandra received her Associate of Arts Degree in Fine Art from the New England School of Design in Boston and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design from the American College of Art in Atlanta. She completed a Masters Degree in Production Design at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.
Her work has been published in numerous international magazines, including Architectural Digest LatinAmerica, who also nominated her one of the top 10 female designers in Latin America. She appeared on several HGTV shows, including “Celebrity Holiday Homes” and many Martha Stewart Living Radio segment.
Sandra’s first hardcover coffee table book was “The Well Traveled Home” which showed seamless fusions of exotic cultures and interior design. It was followed by her second stunning book “Barefoot Luxury” that focused on a modern approach to luxury living. Sandras personal life embodies this approach and her way of living freely and and in style.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The best advice I give young designers who ask for my help is to get out into the world and explore. You have to be a part of the design world if you want to participate in it. You have to find the unusual and get off the beaten path. Life will not happen in your living room unless you plan to be a gamer. Life is about living and that requires interaction and learning from other people. As an interior designer I travel to see, to shop, to visit factories and learn how things are made, to understand taste and feel what luxury means to in different parts of the world. It’s all a learning process that you can not find online or in books. Just like food is about small & taste, design is about seeing and feeling things.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Everyone feels stressed or overwhelmed at some point. It’s part of life. It could be a deadline, it could be an accumulation of things, it could be something dramatic. Obviously, I am not a therapist, but I know that there are lots of speed bumps on everyones highway of life. Even people who you think are perfect have bad weeks. My approach during tough times has always been to try and keep moving forward no matter what. Get out of bed ( even its its noon ) and do something productive no matter what.
Im very organized and each morning I prepare my to do list or plan or attack. Even when sad or overwhelmed, getting one thing done on my list is my key to moving forward. The pendulum always swings back and things always get better if you try. I find great inspiration from TED talks by successful people like Elon Musk. You can hear them talk about their trials and tribulations and realize that we all have hurdles overcome.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sandraespinet.com
- Instagram: Sandra_Espinet
- Facebook: Sandra Espinet
Image Credits
interior photos: by Hector Velasco Fazio photography of Sandra: Sarah Richardson
