What moments shape the way we see and create? For Head of Creative at 19th & Park, Teneille Craig, it’s both the monumental and the everyday. In her Luupe curation of licensable stock photos, Snippets in Time, she explores how motherhood, nostalgia, stillness, and place influence her creative perspective — and why some cultural sparks fade while others leave a lasting imprint.

Cover photo by Justine Trickett • License it on The Luupe

The Luupe: When you think of a snippet in time that shaped you, what moment comes to mind?

Teneille Craig: I don’t know if I can pinpoint just one. I’m moved by both the big picture and the small details. I see life as a collage of snippets, and I believe every moment, whether massive or minuscule, adds to the journey. A big one? Becoming a mom. A small one? It could be an outfit I chose one day that shifted my mood, changed how I moved through the world, and maybe even shaped the energy I attracted. That’s the lens I used when curating these photos. I live for the art in everyday life, in the unscripted, human moments that represent parts of a deeper story.

The Luupe: How do you personally hold onto memories — through photos, journaling, storytelling, or something else?

Craig: Definitely through video. I’m a huge fan of moving images. Of course, I love a photo, but there’s something about capturing real motion, voice, and emotion that makes a moment feel eternal. I’ve got videos of fishing trips with my son, surprising my dad for his 60th birthday. All those memories feel alive when I rewatch them. My mom has always been big on documenting, too. She kept photo albums and got a camcorder in the early '90s when they were the new thing. I was fascinated. That love for memory-keeping runs deep in our family.

The Luupe: Do you think certain places carry memory more strongly than others?

Craig: Absolutely. Places hold energy. Sometimes joy, sometimes grief, but always something. I think about spaces where people celebrated, where they mourned, where they simply existed with deep emotion. That kind of energy lingers. You can feel it in rooms, cities, and corners of the world. It’s why some places call us back, and others feel heavy long after we’ve left.

The Luupe: What role does nostalgia play in your creative life or perspective?

Craig: Nostalgia definitely plays a role in my personal reflections, but in my creative work, I lean future-forward. I’m always asking, “Where are we headed next?” and creating space for younger voices to connect to what’s shaping tomorrow. That said, it's been fun seeing my own coming-of-age era (late '90s, Y2K) resurface in culture. I feel like I have insider access to this wave because I lived it. But I never want to get stuck in the past. I try to use nostalgia as a lens, not a home. A reminder of where we’ve been, but not the limit of where we can go.

The Luupe: If you could bottle one everyday ritual or moment to revisit later, what would it be?

Craig: The quiet ritual of getting ready for bed. My night routine, lighting a candle, prayer. It’s grounding and expressive at once. A soft, daily reminder of who I am and how I want to move through the world. That moment of intentional self-care, I’d bottle it up forever.

The Luupe: What helps you slow down creatively when things move fast?

Craig: Stillness is sacred to me. I don’t believe in creating from chaos; I need space to receive. That could be turning the notifications off on my phone, going for a walk, or lying down with no agenda. I build stillness into every day. It’s my way of regulating, resetting, and protecting my mind. If I feel overwhelmed or unclear, I know that’s a sign to pause. I’m also very solution- and action-oriented, so slowing down helps me move from overfunctioning to being intentional.

The Luupe: And on the other hand, what sparks your creativity when you feel stuck?

Craig: Ironically, it’s that same stillness. When I slow down, I start noticing everything: colors, songs, textures, scents. I don’t force ideas; I create space for them to come. And they always do. I’m constantly voice-noting myself or jotting thoughts down because inspiration hits me at random. God is generous with creative ideas; you just have to be quiet enough to catch them and brave enough to execute them.

The Luupe: In your experience leading creative work, what makes a cultural moment stick versus pass by?

Craig: There are two kinds of cultural moments, the deep ones and the disposable ones. Some trends come and go, and that’s okay. We live in a hyper-connected time where ideas bounce off each other constantly, and not everything needs to stick. That’s part of the beauty of this creative ecosystem: we’re all contributing to something larger than ourselves.

But the moments that do stick tend to be those driven by collective emotion and pattern. Nostalgia is a great example. I remember when I was a kid, '70s style came back. In my 20s, it was all about the '80s. Now in my 40s, we’re reliving the late '90s and early 2000s. Culture runs in cycles. At a former company, we started tracking the early signs of nostalgia as a trend, and we built strategies around it. That kind of long-view storytelling can create lasting impact. But I’m also a fan of letting go. Not every viral moment needs to become a movement. Sometimes the magic is in the passing spark.

The Luupe: Looking ahead, is there a future moment or milestone you’re working toward or excited to capture?

Craig: Honestly, I feel like this is the moment. This chapter, after years of building, learning, and evolving, feels like the one I’ve been preparing for. It’s a season of implementing vision, building new creative communities, and pouring everything I’ve learned into work that resonates and reaches. Of course, I’m excited for what’s next, but right now, I’m just grateful to be in the moment I prayed for. I’m doing the work I love on my terms and hopefully creating the kind of culture that makes people feel seen, connected, and inspired.