Hands- Creative Prompt

Hey Inspiring Souls…

When I am documenting and noticing through the lens (and writing too) I like to capture details.. Sometimes a bigger picture tells the story best sometimes focusing in on the details is what tells the story best…

So lets look at that.. One of my favorite ways to capture the details of those I love is to photograph their hands… Could be while they are engaging in something they enjoy, or simply just their hands  on the table or on their lap… Capture the hands of someone you love today through a photo..

Feel like taking the story a bit further? Write a few words about those hands…

(This is an image of my Mothers hands holding a book.. something she is often doing she loves reading…) These hands are hard-working, gentle, firm, generous and full of stories and lessons I hope to learn…

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather

Creative Prompt- The view from…

Hey Beautiful Souls!

I have probably mentioned that I love taking pictures. I have slowed way down on how many pictures I take. I go through those phases at times. I am in one now where I am on “Notice Mode” so I am passing beautiful leaves, flowers with rain and things of that nature that I can’t just walk past. I am drawn to stop and capture, so I have!

This week take some time to stop and capture the inspiration,the holiday, the sights and whatever else calls to you. Instead of always just thinking about it and moving on, slow down and soak it in. Document it. Through the lens, the pen or your keyboard, images, words, color or whatever else feels right.. Slow down, soak it in and “capture” it! The view from where you are..

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather

3 things to explore Creatively

Hey Inspiring Souls!

I mentioned before that I am doing a guest series on Creativity over at this lovelies site . I wanted to share a recent post on 3 things to exlore in a creative way! Head on over to her wonderful site and check out all the other goodness shes got going on over there!

I hope you are enjoying the series on Creativity so far! I sure am enjoying writing it! This week I thought we would look at 3 creative things to explore. I have some ideas, but if you don’t like my list pick and choose what if any sounds good to you and add your own! I would love to hear in the comments! I will also have more ideas of things to explore creatively in the weeks to come!

Your Style
Documenting
Your Space

Now each of this could be and actually probably will be expanded upon in posts in the very near future! However lets touch upon a tip or two to explore these areas creatively now!

Your Style: We all get stuck in our ruts of what we wear, I do this way to often actually! I have a few outfits I like and I just keep rotating them instead of looking at the other good stuff I have and how I can mix it up a bit and look at my options with a more creative mindset. Take some time this week to just tweak one of your favorite outfits just a bit from how you normally rock it! Or to take it to another level mix it up and wear a totally different combo then you “usually” do!

Documenting: Oh how I love documenting! There really is no wrong way to document your life and those people around you. Look I think that “traditional” scrapbook keeping is great for so many people, it’s just not for me. There are lots of ways to document your life. A journal, visual journal, Smashbook (I have one that has little bits, sayings and pictures of those i love and actually have one that documents my journey a bit) My favorite tool of all time for documenting is my iPhone, that is where 98% of my pictures come from and with it I am able to document little moments and inspirations around me that I would not have otherwise. Take something you have currently and see if you can play around with a creative way to document the awesomeness in the everyday!

Your Space: As with our wardrobes we can get stuck in a rut in our spaces. A great way to explore your space in a creative way is to ask yourself what you want out of that space. To look at what you have in it and what can be taken out or brought in, moved around etc to help that space function to support what you envision. For me years ago I wanted a space to be able to do some creative stuff (then Jewelry making, now visual journaling and things of that nature) I live in a mini 1 bedroom so I first thought no way do I have the room. But when I really looked at the space I realized that on one particular area that it was really just being filled up with something we did not use or love so when I released those things it made room for a space to set up a little creative nook!
So many things open up when you can look at them with a creative twist and an open mind!

Here is to living Inspired,Creative and Empowered

Heather

 

10 Inspiring things to do while you are watching TV

Hey Creative Souls!

I have a list of things that I call TV projects. The thing is there are shows I really like to watch and a selected few that I will not do anything else while they are on (as they are intense and it’s confusing if I don’t pay attention) But if you are anything like me you live with someone(s) in my case my hubby who watches a bit more TV then you do and sometimes has shows on you don’t care all that much about seeing. However you want to sit with them but feel like sometimes there is a slightly better use of your time that could be happening. In comes TV Projects.

I have started a list of 10 things to do while watching TV and of course I invite you to create (and share) your own list!

1-Sort through magazines and take out images that inspire you, articles you want to read, collage images/words

2-Organize your photos

3-Create: Collage, Doodle, Draw, make a necklace, knit, embroider or anything else!

4-Process a photo on your phone, play around with your apps and do something funky and creative on it

5-Write a letter

6-Cuddle

7-Organize Files

8-Digital Declutter (on your computer, phone etc) go through email, delete pictures on your phone you don’t want etc..

9-Make lists, oh how i love lists. You can make braindump lists, grocery lists, things you want to let go of lists, undones, would love to do’s and dreams lists

10-Inspiration “hunt” from magazines (see #1) glue articles, looks, colors and anything else that inspires you into any journal =Your Inspiration Journal, browse on pinterest (they have an app)

There are some of my ideas, what about you?

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather

Creative Prompt-Mix it up

Hey Wonderful Souls!

I love creating it’s what keeps me sane and fresh with ideas… However even things you love doing can seem like a routine every once in a while. So I think it’s important to mix it up every now and again. Try something new, change up your routine, explore other hobbies etc.

I love and engage often in Photography and Visual Journaling as my Creative Self Expression/Exploration. However I have on my 36 while 36 list to try embroidery so I did this last weekend. I only did a tiny bit but it was so fun to mix it up and explore a different way to express myself and feed my creativity.  I really see myself getting into it so I bought a few inexpensive supplies this weekend to do some stitching practice!

While in the mix it up mode, I decided that my creative space needed an updating, I have been displaying my photos on a corkboard and have loved doing that, but it felt time to update the way I displayed the photos. I did and then turned that corkboard into an inspiration board. (Look for a post this next week on this if not earlier in wich I will share more of what I did, it’s still in progress!)

Mix it up by wearing a different combo in one of your “usual” outfits (we all have em, the go to outfit, the one we know works so why mess with it)

Cook something new, try a new spice, go somewhere different to eat. You get the idea, just mix it up a bit. It doesn’t mean the way you have been doing it needs to stop or is wrong, just that you want to keep it fresh!

Oh and speaking of mixing it up, I have made some updates to my blog, so if you are reading this in email or a reader then pop on over and check out the new banner and a few category buttons I created!

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather

Notice…Mindful/Creative Prompt!

Hey Beautiful Souls!

It’s so easy to go on automatic these days, zipping through our days, hours, weeks, etc… That we often don’t even notice so many things going on in our lives,bodies, relationships etc..

Something that will help in the shifting of that to being mindful and on purpose is to Notice… Notice what lights you up, what makes you mad, what makes you feel good and what makes you feel not so good (activities, people, food etc..) Notice the messages that life is constantly giving you.

Some ways to starting Noticing more mindfully are:

-Gather words, images, ideas etc and put them in a journal

-Start a pinterest board or 20

-Grab a journal (or a document on your phone/computer) and start capturing some of these things that you  notice.

-Slow down long enough to check in with yourself, with your mind and body notice what the message may be

-Use your camera (any camera including phone cameras)  to take notice of the inspiration and things around you.

Take Notice of: 

-Notice what words you are always drawn to

-Notice what things you hear that you think oooh that would be amazing or I would love to..

-Notice what foods make you feel good, nourished really fed and on the flip side notice the ones that make you feel heavy, yucky, guilty etc.

-Notice what people make you feel lifted up, good, comforted, listened to, empowered – Notice what people make you feel frustrated, annoyed, drained, badly

-Notice where the disconnect between what you say you want and the actions you take (or don’t take) are.

-Notice what inspires you

-Noitce what makes you laugh

-What makes you mad

Notice how amazing life is in so many ways, even through the challenges

For me lately I have been noticing more and more things including: A shift (this one is hard to explain but I can totally feel it, in a good way!), I notice how my body is used to having a certain (at least) amount of water and when I neglect to do that for a few days I can feel it, I notice how I am not feeling as great lately as I would like, I notice more moments of bravery, I notice lingering issues from things I thought I had moved on from, I notice that I am constantly drawn to certain images (Including, meditation, Buddha, flowers) I notice that I am coming up with more and more ideas and am tired of just sitting on them, I notice the books I have been reading lately that I am really soaking bits of them in..

Those are some of mine, what do you notice?

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather

Easy DIY- Washi Covered Wood Bracelet

Hey Beautiful Souls!

This weekend I did a super easy cute project!

While at Michael’s a few weeks ago I purchased a wood bangle bracelet, I knew it would be fun to customize! Yesterday as I was in the middle of a few other things I got the inspiration and decided to go with it. It took me probably about 15 min or so to complete ( not including drying time)

I have some super cute washi tape, I am sorta obsessed with it these days. I went from having a few to having a rapidly growing collection as it becomes more available!

I used 4 different kinds of tape on mine, you could of course use more, less or just even 1.

Supplies Needed:

-Wood bangle

-Washi tape

-Mod Podge or some type of sealant

I could have been a bit slower and more patient in doing my bracelet as some of the areas are not as smooth as they could be, but really overall I am super happy with it.

Step 1- Decide if you want to paint the bracelet, personally I did not, looking at it now I see where the would have made it a bit cuter but I am happy with it anyways  regardless! (If you do decide t paint it, let it dry all the way probably about 15 min or less)

Step 2: Decide on pattern if you have more than 1 type you are using. (I put the birds, lace, music notes in that order at least most of the time!) The big tape is actually not washi I think it’s called gaffer tape by 7 Gypsies but you get the idea, that was only in 2 places)

Step 3: Put the tape down, I personally made it long enough to cover (all be it imperfectly) the inside of the bracelet)

Step 4: Mod Podge or sealant I just did maybe 2 coats on it , I let it dry about 15 minutes and then it was pretty much good to go after that.

Step 5: Rock it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, I probably didn’t even need that many steps in this DIY!

I would love to see a pic of it if you do make one!

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather

Creative Prompt-Photograph Hope

Hey Creative Souls!

I know so many people who are just going through such a tough time lately and I wish I could make it all better for them. In tough times one thing I know it can be hard to hold onto is Hope. So today I want to encourage you to capture signs of hope around you.

Capture signs of hope around you through the lens (remember it can be on your phone or any type of camera)

I would love it if you shared with me as well! What hope do you see around you? For me it was tiny buds of leaves starting to sprout on the tree outside of my window, hope of spring and change in the midst of the stormy weather.

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather

Collage-Creative Prompt

Hey Creative Souls!

Lets do a collage! This can be images and words that inspire you, it can be themed for example: Visual goals for the month, for a project, your health, relationship, just things that inspire you, an event etc..It can be all words, all images or a mix of both.

Here is what to gather:

1-Surface, inside of a journal, posterboard, file folder or piece of plain paper, cover of a journal etc..

2-Glue stick

3-Scissors

4-Magazines, words images etc (junk mail, your photos all of that can work too!)

5-Time and an open mind!

Gather some words and or images that fit with the theme that you are doing, I like to gather a bunch and then see how they look arranged different ways on my surface I rarely (but do sometimes) just start gluing. But if that is what you want to do, it’s good so you won’t over think it too much and just have fun!

I of course would love it if you shared a picture of yours with me! The above images is one I did in my visual journal.I actually started to do random gluing, but I like the way it turned out!

Here is to living Inspired,Creative and Empowered

Heather

A letter to 2011…

Hello Creative Souls

In my December newsletter I went over some ways to reflect on the year past  and create a vision for the year going forward. One of the ways I suggest for reflecting on the year past is to write a letter to 2011. I have found this a great way to reflect on the year coming to a close.

Some things to put in the letter: Gratitude, lessons, feelings, struggles and celebrations. Also some fun things to add to it could be some of your favorite things (food, shows, activites, websites etc..)

I will share some parts of mine..

Dear 2011, 

You have been quite a year. I will do my best to really thank you and remember all the milestones, lessons, moments that I can. Though I am sure there will be some I do forget for the moment.

You have been filled with learning lessons in some hard ways. You have also been full of clarity in other ways.

I know I took so many things for granted and I am learning what and how the hard way….. That has made me realize that I really need to listen to my soul and do my souls work…So while this is a hard lesson to be learning,I thank you for it. It’s already lit a few fires under my butt in a few different ways.

I am so blessed in so many ways, it’s sometimes drown out by me feeling sorry for myself or wishing some things were different. Like my job, income and weight. This year has had so many changes, though I don’t think all of them are points I will remember off the top of my head, they were soul changes, some things you can’t explain you just feel and beyond.

Thank You 2011 for all the lessons, blessings all that I have expressed and all unexpressed. You have helped prepare me for 2012, what I KNOW will be an amazing year. You have been filled with Inspiration, Frustration, Connection, Healing, Loss, Release, Shifts, Creativity,Stuckness, Movement.All if it lessons, beauty and all part of the journey…

I would love it if you shared with me some of yours…

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather