Inspiration rarely arrives on time. Any artistic individual can attest to that. Instead, it’s often the ways in which one feeds themselves—creatively speaking, that is—beyond the 9-5 that helps them never lose their edge and show up as their visionary selves. And this applies to LA-based content creator Meeka Hossain, as well.
With an audience of over 100K—who look to her for stunning and inspiring visuals, as well as a fresh perspective on fashion, beauty, travel, and more—Hossain understands the value of keeping her imagination stimulated beyond the average workday. And with her leading the way, we’ve tagged along to see how. The first step is hopping into a vehicle as innovative as she is, the all-new Lexus RX, and hitting up all of Hossain’s favorite spots.
Expect stops at her go-to vintage stores where she loves to search for gems for her home, a restful afternoon at a Korean spa, and—should she have a full 24 hours away from her usual grind—she’ll likely squeeze in a physical and mental escape in nature. After all, there’s no better way to get the creative juices flowing. Follow along, below, for more ways in which Hossain keeps her edge by traveling far and very close to home.
Photo: Courtesy of Meeka Hossain
To start, what does your 9-5 look like as a content creator? What kind of projects do you work on and how do you typically spend your work days?
“As a content creator, working for myself is a little different every day, as I'm in control of my own schedule. Usually, I'm shooting content 2-3 days a week, then editing, taking meetings, attending events, responding to emails, and dealing with a number of inquiries throughout the rest of the week.
“Most of the work I do is based on skincare, beauty, fashion, and travel. Some days I'm at a location or renting a studio, setting up a backdrop and shooting on my DSLR camera with a photographer, and other days I'm set up on a tripod in my living room and self-recording—it really just depends on the client's needs.
“Coming from a background as a fashion marketing director, I treat my shoot days as I would if I was working for the brand. My process begins with creating a mood board of what I'm envisioning and then brainstorming locations ahead of time. Other times, I may not be prepared at all and just winging it, which can actually give it a more organic feeling when I'm working quickly and not overthinking it. I think working both ways can be advantageous!”
As a creative, how important is your non-working time? What do you prioritize most when it comes to your time spent beyond your 9-5? And how do you remind yourself to take some me-time?
“When you work for yourself, you can always be doing more and it's easy to get caught up and not give yourself breaks. For me, balance is crucial to my well-being and maintaining my creative edge. I function best when I'm rested and have leisure time alongside my work. Working in social media, I'm more conscious of my screen time. An exercise I've been doing the past year to help with my anxiety is reading for 30 mins at least 2-3 days a week as soon as I wake up. This has helped me break my habit of reaching for my phone first thing in the morning and I've also read some excellent, interesting books this year.
“When I'm not working I love playing tennis, enjoying a good meal with friends and family, and traveling. My Instagram handle, @catchmeeksifyoucan, was initially coined from my love of travel. Everything from learning about a new culture to food exploration and architecture excites me about traveling. A good trip is always a nice reset to my workflow.”
Photo: Courtesy of Meeka Hossain
What are your favorite ways to feed your creativity and spark inspiration these days? How do you keep your creative fuel flowing so you never lose your edge?
“I've always drawn inspiration from film and travel. I'm a visual learner and watching movies or submerging myself into a different culture is when I feel my creative juices flowing! I think a balance of these is important for me—with movies it allows my mind to wander to places I would never think of and with travel I'm actually in places I only dreamt of. Both open my mind to new experiences and create those ‘aha’ moments where I start to connect the dots with my work.”
You suddenly have 24 hours all to yourself. What do you do? Where do you drive? Tell us what your perfect day off looks like.
“My perfect day would involve packing up the Lexus RX and heading off to Malibu for a nice scenic hike, followed by Reel Inn Malibu for fish tacos, and ending the day watching the sunset on the beach. Nature always relaxes me”
Photo: Courtesy of Meeka Hossain
We know you love vintage shopping, especially for your home. Why do you prefer vintage for the home and where do you go to find special items?
“I believe your home should be an extension of who you are, so you feel the most comfortable. Peaceful, inspiring, cozy, and unique are some of the adjectives I would use to describe my home. One of the reasons I love vintage furniture so much is because it's one of a kind and showcases your taste as an individual. Every piece holds a story and gives your guests a bit of that taste. Also, there's an art form to sourcing pieces—the search, the bargaining, and then finding the perfect spot for your piece—it all comes together.
“Some of my go-to vintage spots are Popuphome, Javanehpirooz, Friends of Form, Midcentury LA, Badlands vintage, Chairish, and Etsy. I love sourcing and finding new places!
“One of my vintage sourcing tips would be checking out your local estate sales. If you're lucky you can find hidden gems way below market price!"
And finally, when you need to get away but don’t have time to hop on a plane, where do you go to hit the reset button?
“I love self-care—doing things that are good for my mind and body to reset are key to never losing my edge at work or beyond. With that, I often head over to the Korean spa. I could spend all day there! I'll start with the sauna, then the steam room, clay room, and hot tub followed by a full-body scrub and massage. I'll finish in the relaxing room with tea and a good book and end my day at BCD tofu house for some spicy Korean food.”
