My blog has evolved tremendously in the past 2 1/2 years. Originally I boxed myself in, refusing to post anything BUT street-style photos. The original concept was for me to be invisible. My readers drew me out of my shell with their curiousity about who I am and what inspires me. The positive energy I feel from my readers is what truly keeps me going. In late 2010 I changed the name of my blog from “Chicago Streetstyle Scene” to “Amy Creyer’s Chicago Street Style” to reflect my belief that a blog is best when it offers a personal perspective. The last two years have only strengthened that mission. I don’t speak for Chicago – I speak for me. Embracing that spirit, 2013 will see even more sharing about my life in Chicago, and all the amazing things this city has to offer.

I was very frustrated after September’s fashion week last year. I felt directionless. Disillusioned. There were a million other street style photographers outside the shows. What made me any different?

Photographers are everywhere outside the shows. Just look!

Then I realized this fall, that the problem wasn’t New York fashion week – it was me. I was trying to force myself to fit into a self-imposed box (again) and failing miserably. Instead of embracing who I am and what I have to offer my readers and the blogosphere, I was crushing myself under impossibly high expectations. I’ve always held myself to ridiculously high goals and have an achievement-oriented mindset. Good for the workplace – bad for pleasure pursuits.

My favorite NYFW street-style photo

I was putting pressure on myself to photograph the big names, instead of just looking for inspiration like I do in Chicago. An afternoon spent milling around Soho – a fashionable neighborhood, yes, but far away from the runway shows overflowing with celebrities – was the most fun I had street-style hunting all week. That’s why the photo above, taken on a Soho stoop, is my favorite picture from NYFW September 2012. These women have fantastic style, but they asked me not to include their faces. I happily obliged.

It’s impossible to not get amazing photos of Anya Ziourova, so everyone does!

When it hit me that fashion blogging isn’t a race, or a competition, I was freed. It’s about sharing and connecting, inspiring people and having fun. I truly, truly love fashion. For a while there, my high-intensity personality was sucking all the fun out of fashion blogging. I was treating it like a competition, ticking the big names off, instead of relaxing and enjoying myself. I should be grateful to even be at fashion week! That’s why #firstworldproblems was invented. For people who complain about fashion week. No more!

My favorite photo from 2012, taken for Burberry

From now on, that’s my only mission – to have a blast connecting with my readers and the people I photograph on the streets. That’s really what it’s all about. Especially the everyday people with great style, who I’ve always been more fascinated with than the legions of well-shod editors wearing free clothes. They’ll always look fabulous. That’s why I’ve dedicated a large portion of the last 3 years to hunting down and spotlighting the ‘anonymous’ people, the ones who save and thrift and bend over backwards to make their everyday lives a one-person runway show. Like Yumi Minamikurosawa above, a creative director in the Chicago advertising industry known for her incredible personal style, my blog is dedicated to celebrating people who take sheer pleasure in dressing for themselves.

xo

Amy