Cultivate Your Creative Voice

When learning our craft we research ideas, admire other artists work, and get inspired by what we discover.

It is so easy to take an ideas of another artist and recreate it to make it your own, but if you take the time to cultivate your own voice you can create designs that are all your own.

Try these simple ideas to get your ideas flowing:

Take the time to learn about what you enjoy creating. New ideas come out all the time, stay on top of all the new trends and ideas of your medium.

Explore your inner voice. A few minutes of mediation will help you connect with your inner voice. 

Listen to your intuition. Trust those ideas that come to you out of the blue, regardless of how challenging you think it will be to create.

Write / Draw out your thoughts and ideas. Keep a record of all your ideas good and bad, to help inspire future ideas.

Develop the ideas that make you happy. Learn what you need to learn, and take your art in a new direction.

Cultivating your own voice takes a little practice, but once you make it part of your everyday creative process you will discover that the piece you create will come from your heart and not just your head.

How have you cultivated your creative voice lately?

Inspiration On The Go

You know those days when you are busy running errands, working on a deadline, or doing things for your family, that that's when you get a burst of inspiration.

Those busy days are usually the days when you get your best ideas, and stopping to write or sketch out your ideas may not be an option. If your like me and don't have time to document those ideas they can be lost as quickly as they appeared.

Doing a visualization exercise is a great way to help you keep those ideas fresh in your mind. It only take a minute or two to do these simple steps, to help you remember those really good ideas.

-Close your eyes
-Visualize what you want to create
-Make a list of the medium and tools you want to work with
-Choose the colors
-Visualize your finished piece
-Let you mind return to these mental pictures often

The best part is you end piece may not be exactly as you visualized it, but that's even better, because you nurtured your inspiration and allowed it to develop before it was executed.

"Even if its not possible to act on each moment of inspiration immediately.  It is possible to live in the moment and enjoy your creative soul."
-Pam Carriker

Have you used visualization to remember your good ideas?

An Unconventional Idea to Boost Your Creativity

There are so many ideas for giving your creativity a boost, and I have covered many ideas here on Everyday Inspired.

Here is one idea that is not talked about a lot, but will not only help you creatively but also physically.

Listen to your body

It's so easy to override the messages our body send us, like when we are hungry, when we need a break from the computer screen, or need to get some fresh air, but what if we listened to those messages and took the necessary breaks to be more relaxed.

Our body knows best. Listening to its cues will guide us to having a more relaxed mind, therefore being more creative.

Do you listen to your body for cues to take breaks?

Creative Gatherings

There are times when you need an inspirational boost. Being around other creative people is a great way to get motivated and inspired.

A couple of years ago I met with a group of friends that were fellow artists on a regular basis. We tried to meet at least once a month to do an art project and just sit and talk about our current projects.

I created this during one of our gatherings

I miss meeting with them, but I got really busy and it was harder to make the commitment to meet. This year I am going to try to get us all together again and get creative.

Do you ever create with other artists or work in different art mediums?

The best part of meeting as a group is trying different techniques, learning a new medium, and just making the time to do something new.

A paint and paper project

It is easy to start up a group:

• Get together people who are excited about the idea of working in different mediums and creating.

 • Choose the size of your group. It can be as few as 2 - 3 people or a group as large as you have space for.

• Everyone needs to be willing to host a gathering and share an art project.

I was lucky, in my group we had a couple of art teachers and they always had enough supplies for everyone to use. I know that is not the case for everyone. To make it easier for the hostess maybe after each gathering you collect a few dollars for the hostess to get supplies for the next gathering.

This is a paint and chalk project I created

There are so many benefits to participating in this type of group:

~ It stretches your creative muscle
~ Talking with like minded people
~ Motivation to stay creative
~ Help with ideas for a projects you are working on

We can all benefit from working with other artist, and working in different art mediums. As creative business owners we spend a lot of time alone working, and it can be lonely sometimes. Taking a break to meet with fellow artist can be very inspiring and motivating.

Put together a group today!

Do you meet with fellow artist in you area?

Is It Time for an Update?

It's a new year, and the perfect time to update your marketing materials.

Last year I changed the look of my business, by using new fonts and colors. After a careful study of my target market I knew my branding needed an update.

This was my first logo

This was what it was updated to in 2009

This is my current logo

This change in my logo and all other marketing materials, really gave my business a fresh new look and now is definitely geared more toward the customers that are buying my designs.

There are so many easy changes you can make to update the look of your business. Start with your fonts and colors these are the two easiest ways to make quick updates.

Here are some resources to get you started on planning out your new look.

Click here for more info on this years choices of Pantones 2014 Spring collection

interesting color combination ideas

Font pairing inspiration

Click here for more info

Click here

Click here 

Pull out all your marketing materials (business cards, tags, notes, brochures, catalogs, sales sheets, etc...) and see what simple changes you can make to update your look. Don't forget to make those changes online (shop, social media banners, blog, etc...) you want your brand to look consistent with fonts and colors across the board.

This is the perfect project for the beginning of the year. Once you have completed your new look, start telling people about it via social media. This is a great way to generate some buzz around your business and encourage new people to check out your brand.

When was the last time you updated your brand?

Make A Gift - Give A Gift

As artists we often create gifts for family and friends. Today create something for someone you don't know and donate it to a favorite charitable organization.

Making a donation not only feels good, it's also has an impact on your physical and mental health. So give often!

Why not share your creative gifts with someone in need this holiday season.

Don't Wait for Inspiration

There are times during the creative process when you don't feel inspired, and that is OK.

Sometimes the ideas are not flowing, and we are not inspired to create new pieces over and over again. But there are times when we need to be creating, so it's important to have a list of ideas to help start the ideas flowing.

Here is a list of simple ideas to help you get started:

When you need to be working and the ideas are not flowing, what do you do to get inspired?

Your Etsy Shop Reinspired for the Holiday - Bonus Day Rework Your Space

Today's post is full of Inspiration for reworking your creative space to keep you organized and inspired.

Inspiring Spaces

Studio / Office Organization

DIY Organization Ideas

Organization screen

Mail Organizer 

Organizer 

Repurposed Organizer Ideas

Your creative space should reflect your personal style. You want to fill your space with things that inspire you and keep you motivated.

I hope these spaces and ideas got you thinking of ways to rework your studio/office space.

What kind of changes are you going to make to your creative space for the busy holiday season?

Share this inspiring post with your creative social network!

Fun Ways to Enjoy Summer

It's the time of year to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.  Take a day off and get away from your work, remember a relaxed mind is a creative mind.

Today I am sharing a list of fun things you can do as a family, a couple, and or even by yourself.

Family Fun

Spend an afternoon playing with your kids - blow bubbles, play with sidewalk chalk, have a water balloon fight.

Go on a picnic - pack up a few snacks and head for a park near you, and enjoy an afternoon under a shade tree.

Be a tourist in your hometown - visit local shops, stop at places you drive by everyday, find new sites to check out.

Have a family craft day - perfect for a rainy day. Break out some art supplies and spend some time creating. Maybe make a family collage, having each person create their own piece and bring them all together on one canvas.

Start a summer family journal - encourage everyone to write or draw something about what they did each day.

Couples Fun

Get away for a long weekend - you don't have to go far, just enjoy spending time away from home.

Bike around town - stop at places you have never been before.

Attend a free summer concert - in a town near you.

On a rainy day spend the day snuggled together watching movies on TV

Spend a day exploring flea markets, antique shops, and garage sales.

Alone Time

Do a fun art project - work with materials you don't usually use, explore new ideas.

Create your own art day - visit a museum or gallery, window shop, take your sketchbook to a park.

Spend a rainy day reading you favorite art book or flipping through magazines.

Pamper yourself - polish your nails, wash your hair and let it air dry outside.

Do nothing - don't make plans, just spend the day sitting outside.

These are just a few ideas for having fun this summer.

What are some fun things you like to do when the weather is warm?

Mother Nature and Creativity

Wellness and healing start with Mother Nature. Plant remedies have been used for focus, longevity, and inspiration for thousands of years in many cultures.

Using herbs is a way to enhance your creativity help you get through the day. Partaking in a warm cup of herbal tea is a lovely ritual and a nice way to focus your senses for a day of creating.

Herbs for creativity

Gingko Biloba - the leaves are thought to help with memory and circulating blood flow to the brain.

Mugwort - is said to enhance one's intuitive abilities.

Green tea - good for clearing the mind, focus, and giving you a little energy.

Camomile - helps you relax after a long day of creating

Lemon Balm - eases stress and anxiety.

Adding herbs to your daily routine is as easy as picking some up at the farmers market, or growing your own.

To make a tea infusion add a heaping spoon of the herbs for every cup of water and when it comes to a boil turn off the heat and let the herbs steep. After 5 - 10 minutes strain and pour into glass. Sweeten as necessary. Your tea is ready to sip and enjoy throughout the day.

Do you use herbs for your overall health?

Travel Without Plans

This the time of the year when you start planning your summer getaways for the summer, so why not schedule yourself a one day adventure.

It's as easy as blocking out some time, hopping in your car, and going for a drive with no destination in mind. Or getting on the train and getting off at a new stop.

Stop when you see something intriguing, eat something you have never tried before, take back roads and side streets, and have a conversation with a local.

Don't forget your journal/sketchbook so you document your adventure.

This is my favorite thing to do when I need to recharge my creative batteries, I have gotten some of my best ideas while in the car. Plus I have found some pretty amazing places that have become my favorite places to go.

When was the last time you had an unplanned adventure?

Window Shopping Inspiration

Need a little inspiration?  Get a creativity boost by doing a little window shopping.

Check out the shops in your town or on your next getaway. Every store has something to offer, even the store you don't like or would never shop in. Regardless of what you create, you can always get a little inspirations from a cute store window.

As you take your stroll, check out the window displays and the items they have close to the window.

 

What color are they featuring?

Any shapes that are more popular then others?

What about the textures, can any translate into your craft?

Checking out what is in the windows is not about what they have in the window, but dissecting what you see and getting inspired by the color combinations, and designs.

When I visit a new town I love to window shop. I like to see what other cities and towns are featuring, and what is popular. Yesterday I shared that I always carry a pad of paper and pencil with me wherever I go, so I never forget any of my ideas.

Don't forget your pad of paper so you can jot down your ideas during your window shopping adventure.

Do you do a lot of window shopping?

Need more creative ideas? Check out this great list of 29 Ways To Stay Creative.

Motivation Monday

My favorite is - Make Lists - I carry a notebook everywhere. Which one is your favorite?

Switch Gears

When you have been working on something for a long time or you're trying to come up with some new ideas and you get stuck, why not try switching gears.

Stop trying to come up with ideas and start with the technical side of your project. Switching to a new task is a great way to get your creative juices flowing, and thinking about the technical side of things will give you a little insight into your working process and help you see new options.

All you need to do is create a list of all the steps involved in what you are working on, down to the littlest details. Then create a flowchart from where you start your project, your action steps, the decisions you have to make, and where you need to stop.

When you are done with your flowchart you should feel the creative juices flowing back, not to mention you now have a tutorial for your project that you could use in the future.

If you really want to challenge yourself create your list of steps starting from the end and working your way back to the beginning.

Working on the technical side of your project is a great way to get inspired.

Have you ever listed all the steps involved in creating your art?

Put Your Favorite Quote Into Action

I love inspiring quotes and I use them all the time in my blog posts. I think those few simple words can give you the boost you need to get through your day.

It's also easy to read quotes, agree with the message, and just move onto something else not ever giving it a second thought. What if you were actually inspired by a quote and practiced it's wisdom.

                         Source: niftyswank.blogspot.com via Valerie on Pinterest

I have come to realize that an inspiring quote can guide you to become the person you want to be. 

                         Source: purpletugboat.tumblr.com via Valerie on Pinterest

Try this:

Find a quote, one that really hits home for you. Something that has meaning and inspires you to want to make it part of your everyday life.

Take that quote and turn it into something you can hang on your wall. Use paint, pencil, collage, or your computer, whatever medium you prefer, to make it work in your space.

Then break down the quote into steps you can incorporate into you daily life.

                        Source: whispsofinvisibleme.tumblr.com via Valerie on Pinterest

This is a favorite quote of mine. I am one of those people who is always full of ideas, but not very good at starting or finishing any of the big projects I want to do. This year I am going to step out of my box more and start doing all those things I really want to do. That's why I chose this quote to keep me motivated.

I started by creating a list of everything I want to achieve this year and then broke each idea down into action steps. I added these action steps to my daily calendar and each day I spend 15 - 30 minutes on a project I want to achieve.

Having this quote posted is a daily reminder of what I want to accomplish.  I can glance at it whenever I need a boost, and it's words can inspire me. Every quarter I am going to incorporate a new quote into my space, so inspiration is all around me all year long.

By finding one quote that will be your theme for a month, quarter, or the whole year is a great way to stay inspired to achieve all you want to achieve.

Those inspiring quotes should be more then something to quickly read and nod your head in agreement. Put them into actions and let them become part of your life.

Do you have a favorite quote that you have made part of your everyday life?

DIY Friday - Art for Your Home

As much as I would love to have a house full of art, it is not in my budget to invest a lot of money into art. Over the years I have painted a few canvases, but I am not a painter and they were never what I really wanted. Recently I found a few ideas for adding art to your house that are inexpensive and easy to do, perfect for DIY Friday.

Canvas and Metal Repair Tape

Mini Canvases and Paint

Frame Fabric Squares

Paint and Tape

Embroidery Hoops Reinspired

Recycled Cardboard

Scrapbook Paper Mod Podged to a Canvas

What kind of art have you created for your home?

DIY Friday - Old Sweaters

My daughter has recently gotten into thrifting, and when she was in town we spent a couple of days shopping at Savers and Goodwill. She found lots of great stuff, and her finds inspired today's DIY post. Check out these amazing ideas you can do with old sweaters.

Throw pillow and blanket

Sweater Dog Toys

Cool Jewelry Ideas

Restyle an old sweater with yarn

A fun wreath

Cashmere bunny toys

Hat and Mittens

What have you upcycled into something new?