Step 1: Write Something

Step 1: Write Something

Hello, and welcome to the debut of my blog. After finding every possible reason to put this off, I’ve finally planted a stake in the ground and decided I’ve waited long enough. Here I come, ready or not.

I won’t pretend I have this all figured out. I’m not making promises about how often I’ll write or exactly where this will go. This is what I’m doing today, and the older I get, the more I appreciate what that’s worth. What I can promise is to bring my authentic self. The rest, we’ll discover along the way.

This is a place for cocktails and casseroles, parties and pretties, and everything in between. Design, fashion, food, culture, politics, architecture, entertainment—if it interests me, it might turn up here. Hopefully, some of it will interest you, too.

I’ve spent a lifetime finding ways to express myself creatively. Each avenue has taught me something, and each experience has shaped what came next. Eventually, that winding path brought me here, writing to you as The Creative Cowboy.

I don’t claim to know everything, and I’m not here to convince you that my way is the only way. I also don’t believe good taste requires a large bank account or shoes that coordinate with your bag. I don’t even own fancy pants. Jeans and boots are my go-to, and I love a good deal.

At heart, I’m a small-town farm boy who grew up to be a city slicker. I know how to make things pretty, and I know a great sense of style doesn’t have to cost a fortune. That seems like a good place to start.

When I first began thinking about this blog a year ago, I imagined sharing specialty cocktails and tips for tastefully accessorizing your coffee table. Then the world changed.

Coronavirus has given our homes a significance few of us could have anticipated. “Shelter in place” put an entirely new spin on spring cleaning. Gardens became both a refuge and a way to put food on the table. Dining tables became offices. We’ve had to reconsider how we live and what we need from the spaces around us.

My circumstances have changed, too. Work is sparse, along with toilet paper, and planning ahead feels like an exercise in guesswork. I reckon this blog will find its way much as the rest of us are doing: a little at a time.

I’m currently living in the East Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, where daily life remains far from normal. This isn’t the place I arrived in three years ago. Outings take more thought, familiar routines have disappeared, and so much of what makes this area feel alive is on hold.

It’s strange watching friends elsewhere on social media having cocktails in swanky establishments, eating out, and even going to the movies. I admit I’m envious. Here, a haircut feels like something to put on a wish list.

Still, the beauty of this place hasn’t gone anywhere.

One of the things I love about the Bay Area is how quickly the scenery changes. You can go from city streets and beautiful shop windows to redwood forests, sandy beaches, and hills that make you forget how close you are to all that bustle. There’s always something worth looking at, and often something worth looking at twice.

Then there are the flea markets. They’re part of what drew me here, and I’m like a kid in a candy store when I get to scour them for buried treasure. I love spotting something overlooked and imagining what it could become—or knowing it’s already perfect, just waiting for someone to notice.

I can’t wait to take you along on the hunt when circumstances allow. Finding something fabulous is a pleasure. Getting to share the discovery makes it better.

Along with the shopping, food, design, and everyday happenings, I hope this becomes a place that encourages you to follow your own curiosity. Maybe you’ll try something new, look differently at something you already own, or finally make room for an idea you’ve been putting off. Maybe I will, too.

Being creative and sharing what I find nourishes my soul. That’s why I wanted to start this blog, and why I’m finally sitting here writing it.

“Home is where the heart is.” For now, a little piece of mine is right here. This is my campfire, and where I’m gonna hang my hat for a while.

If there’s something you’d like to know, just ask. I’ll do my best to answer or explore it in a future post. I promise I won’t bite.

Until next time, thanks for pulling up a chair.

Respectfully,

Edward Lee

The Creative Cowboy