One morning last week I awoke to sunshine...a welcomed surprise. I also awoke to feeling blah. Uninspired. You know the drill. I decided to take a walk down near the market and take in the sights and sounds--tourists, street performers, meter maids, noisy trucks and color. Lots of it! It was just what the doctor ordered. Then last night I was asked to present some thoughts on creativity to a group of women. I put together a list of suggestions to jumpstart creativity. My recent outing to the market came to mind, as well as many other ideas. I thought I'd share them here with you as well, in case you were in need of a gentle nudge today :) Feel free to add your own thoughts too.
Top 10 Ways to Jumpstart Personal Creativity
1. Clear the clutter - this will free up space in your mind--space that can be better allocated to the creation of something that will enrich your life. Try to imagine living with only things you need and love and then work towards donating, selling or throwing out the excess. Now this is an ongoing process and if you're like me, you'll never quite be fully on top of it; but if it's something that is on your radar at least, then you'll notice differences in your mental clarity as you go about doing with less. Be mindful of consumption too.
2. Read a book or magazine that you find interesting in some way. Pick a subject, any subject (I love perusing cookbooks...). Using our minds in a variety of ways churns the creativity within us and increases our well of ideas.
3. Start an inspiration binder, which is basically a large, white binder from Office Max and some clear page protectors. Whenever you find something in a magazine or catalog that you like for some reason, tear it and put it in your inspiration binder. As you build this collection, you'll find that thinking creatively comes more naturally.
4. Take inventory of what you already have and figure out a way to use it. Perhaps you'll have to supplement with a couple of inexpensive supplies, but the thrill of figuring out how to use what you already have is not to be missed!
5. Organize a craft night with a group of women. Bring over that project you've been meaning to finish forever and a plate of treats. You'll find that socializing while creating will not only give you a great sense of accomplishment, but will allow you to peek at other creative projects too.
6. Cruise your favorite blogs +
Pinterest for ideas and subjects that interest you. Maybe something you see will spark a few of your own ideas (above is a fun party idea I found last night via
here).
7. Make time in your day to be creative--whether it's nap time after the kids are in bed or early in the morning. Schedule it in like you would a doctor's appointment and have a few projects in mind that interest you.
8. If you have any personal issues in your life that are clouding your thoughts and subsequently your creativity, try to work through them in a healthy way. It's very difficult to channel creativity when emotional issues are at the surface.
9. Get out of the house. Shut off the computer. Turn off your phone. Walk, look, smell, breathe. Go explore a neighborhood or take a long walk. Experience a change of scenery...it'll do wonders!
10. Observe nature. Look at the color schemes around you. Examine texture. I cannot think of any other setting that is more inspiring than that of pure nature.
What do you have to add to the list? What do you find helps spark your creativity after a lull?
image 1, 2, 4 - me / image 3 - Icing Designs
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; but, afterwards I was enamored with her (and her relationship with Paul). Therefore, reading 
below, and they are a bit hit and miss. Sometimes the texture of the chiyogami paper makes for a messy cut, but sometimes you do get lucky. If it's a new punch and still nice and sharp, you'll probably have better luck. 
to make clean holes in the chiyogami paper and then put the earrings right on through. Clasp the back to the actual earring as tight as you can so the earrings stay put. That's it!
