Why Carrie Bradshaw is a Creativity Icon

Im sorry. I have to. Don't hate me. 👠

Last night, we braced ourselves for the return of And Just Like That… the watered-down sequel to Sex and the City that I love to hate-watch (it’s still better than the second movie) and love even more to dissect. (Get OUT of here, Aidan!)

There’s a handful of topics I consider to be my Pandora’s Box of conversation starters. Subjects that, once I start talking about, I truly cannot stop. The floodgates open and it’s going to take a minute. Vintage photobooths, Chappell Roan’s media presence, manners, my cordless Dyson - to name a few. But the topic that sets me off the most, the one that inspires monologues and tangents, that bursts the damn beyond repair, is Sex and the City. I could give a TEDx Talk about how Samantha Jones is an iconic representation of third-wave feminism, write a full-page op-ed about how Carrie is the original female antihero, or give a dissertation on the hit-and-miss writing choices that built Miranda Hobbes.

The original series entered its fifth season as I entered my junior year in high school, and to say I was obsessed is an understatement. The fashion, friendships, and glimpse into smart, assertive women living life on their own terms formed a deep core component of who I am today. Even now, as I type this post on my little MacBook, looking out the window, I feel myself manifesting the Carrie-adjacent life I started dreaming about 20 years ago.

Thinking back on how this show and it’s heroin have inspired me over the years… I couldn’t help but wonder… was Carrie Bradshaw a creativity guru?

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For better or worse, Carrie Bradshaw is a risk taker. Sometimes this worked out better than others (cutting a bob versus having an affair with her married ex-boyfriend) - but she is unafraid to take big leaps. Let’s not forget the belt around her bare stomach. She swings big and is decisive. Whenever you venture onto a creative project, taking risks, making bold choices, and engaging in something without any guarantee are all things you need to brace for. I know we think of Carrie’s creative medium as her writing, but her style is an art form in itself. She is daring and adventurous. She wears a bird on her head to get married. And though we’ll never forgive her for the disgusting bag she gave Louise from St. Louis, IN GENERAL, the bigger the risk, the bigger the gain.

In an article about SATC that I read once, Patricia Field said something to the effect that Carrie’s looks always required one unexpected element to fully work. (I’m paraphrasing.) That’s why you’d see her pair sweatpants with Jimmy Choos or have feathers on the tail of her skirt. Adding elements of surprise into our work, whether it’s a canvas or an outfit, keeps us and our audience engaged and excited, not knowing what’s coming next. The same way we find new fashion ideas by trying on a million different things is the same way we should experiment in our creative endeavours as well - try everything on, you might surprise yourself.

Whether it’s pursuing her writing career or asking out a stranger at a bar, Carrie puts herself out there in the world. Literally even on the side of the bus. She asks out the new Yankee, shows up to a picnic in hot pants, and shifts from columnist to best-selling author. She is unafraid to access vulnerability in her writing and her relationships. She’s a hopeless romantic and relentless creative, putting herself on the line over and over again. Which is really what pursuing any kind of passion is.

I’m not saying we should all go start a very public column about our friends’ deeply personal lives, but it’s a good reminder to me that everything around us is rife for inspiration. Carrie gets as inspired by a spice market in Abu Dhabi as she does at the movies. She shops for vintage as much as she does for couture. She’s unafraid to mix and match. Another Patricia Field wardrobe ethos was to mix high and low, cheap and fancy. Carrie’s triple-strand pearls are paired with a Hanes tee. As the legend has it, THE Carrie tutu was thrifted for $3. In her writing and her wardrobe, Carrie is open to finding inspiration anywhere.

Carrie’s fun. She’s silly. She’s flirtatious. She loves a theme, she loves puns, she scoots in heels. Remember when she wore the beret and brought McDonald’s? Her writing is tongue-in-cheek, her dating style is unpredictable, her sense of style is wildly imaginative. Sometimes, accessing our playful, goofy, childlike side is the best way to break out of an artistic rut. A lot of creativity experts cite that if there was a pastime we enjoyed as kids, we would probably like it still now. Think collaging or papier mache. Carrie embraces her frivolous side and enjoys activities, experiences, and ensembles just for the joy of it.

There’s literally an episode of Sex and the City called “Just Say Yes.” Whether it’s walking in a models and mortals runway show, impulsively moving to Paris with a lover, or trying trapeze lessons, Carrie remains constantly open to new experiences. She kisses a woman, rides a motorcycle, goes with Charlotte to a self-expression dance class. She says yes to opportunities (5 dollars a word at Vogue!), yes to new experiences (an invite to an S&M bar), yes to her friends (showing up at Miranda’s when she thinks she has a ghost.) You never know when inspiration is going to strike, but often it comes through novel experiences or reorienting your brain. Saying yes to things is a surefire way to expand your work and your life.

Carrie Bradshaw turns down Mathew McConoughy because it’s the wrong fit and fake Fendis because they don’t feel right. She draws a line at things she will and won’t put in her column. She hard-NO’s the first options for her book cover. She knows, like any real creative, that you have to trust your vision and drown out the noise as much as possible. To pass on opportunities that might be BIG (no pun intended) but are still wrong. The biggest overall public criticism of Carrie is that she’s narcissistic, and I can’t disagree. But the other edge of that sword is that she knows what she wants and doesn’t settle. She trusts herself and stays true to her authentic voice and vision.

To me, one of the greatest gifts Carrie gave young women was the representation of a woman doing things outside of conventional norms or traditional expectations. She’s happily child-free, clearly and openly sex-positive and adventurous, she’s self-employed as a successful freelance writer, and she prioritizes love over marriage. She doesn’t bend to what others think she should be - how she should dress, write, date, or live her life.

Probably my most favorite (or at least most referenced) Carrie moment is when she registers for herself in A Woman’s Right to Shoes. After a series of events leave her robbed of her new peep-toes and shamed for her solo lifestyle by a normie friend, Carrie registers at Manolo Blahnik, stating that she’s marrying herself. The note she receives when the new pair arrives is “we’re so happy for you and you!” I think about this all the time. Especially when it comes to doing something scary, solo, off the beaten path, or creating something for myself and no one else. Make stuff you want to make, whether it’s life choices or content. Listen to yourself. To quote her directly, “The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself.”

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So do I think Carrie is an endless source of creativity? Abso-fucking-lutely.