Exercise Your Imagination

So what do you do with a bottle of glue, some glitter pens, cardboard, and a pack of scrapbook paper? Duh, you experiment!

Be wacky.

Create weird things. Make the tallest structure you can. Then paint it beautiful. Make a windmill, a recipe book, a toy box. Anything. Just create it. It might be cool and it might be perfect for someone in your life.

Just start.

If you’re stuck without a a good project idea, then a quick tip to convince your creative muse otherwise would be to just start. When you take a risk with your art, you begin to see new patterns, and throw away the notion that only certain craft projects are “possible.”

Carve out time.

What are the most thoughtful gifts that you could make for the people that matter to you? Ask yourself that question every time you sit down with a variety of materials (unless you’re making yourself a gift). And be sure to carve out enough time in your week for you to be able to create without restraint. It’s an essential part of sparking your creativity, and a way to really make the unexpected happen.

Perfect isn’t perfect.

Remember that the things you create don’t need to spell perfection. However, that doesn’t mean that a gift shouldn’t be well-crafted, because great craftsmanship shows that you’ve spent some time on the gift. And that will make the difference between random crap you found around the house, and something purposeful and filled with meaning.

 

Check out the rest of the Stretch Your Thinking Series

Try Out a New Creative Medium

Do you need to get your friend/relative/spouse/child a gift in a few days? Do you also suffer from a creative slump? Perhaps trying a new creative medium could be the answer to both of these problems. Creativity block is cousin to a well-known problem called writer’s block, and is rumored to affect just about everyone at some moment in time. Often times, the creative block is mental. Perhaps you’ve fallen into a rut with your art (in whatever form it may take) and can’t seem to escape the monotony of your daily routine of creation. It could be time for a change.

In terms of health, when you shock your body by following a new or slightly more difficult exercise regimen you can make larger gains in muscle, and become closer to your target goal of fitness. This lesson can also be transferred to making good use of your mental capacities. Your brain needs a change in scenery in order to function more dynamically. In addition, trying out new mediums of art will give you an opportunity to view the old medium with a new perspective. You’ll gain ideas about how to inventively approach your old hobby.

So, if you’re ready to shock your creative mind, and are willing to try something new, I’ve thought up a small list of potential creative mediums to try out today.

Writing

· Expository

· Narrative

· Creative

· Persuasive

· Poetry

· Prose

Drawing/Painting

· Watercolor

· Pastel

· Oil

· Acrylic

· Pencil charcoal

· Calligraphy

Scrapbooking/Paper crafts

· Card-making (for different holidays, seasons, occasions)

· Decoupaging

Sewing

· Fashion

· Felt stuffed animals

Miscellaneous

· Acting

· Woodworking

· Decorating (interior or garden)

· Editing/shooting videos

The beauty of trying out a new medium of art is that you might be inspired, but that you also might have something special that reminds you of someone in your life. As such, you can gift this creation to that certain person for their birthday or other occasion. Because after all, a special occasion creates a need for creativity.

Feel free to post any other art forms that I haven’t listed in the comments below.

P. S. If this list inspires you but it turns out that you don’t have enough money to fund a new artistic endeavor, then take this simple tip: Shop your garage. Much like shopping your closet, you’re bound to find treasures galore. Markers you never knew you had, oil pastels, prismacolor pencils, old cloth, etc. Next in the Stretch Your Thinking Series will be tips on how to use old materials and a little imagination to shape your creation into something giftable.

Check out the rest of the Stretch Your Thinking Series

Stretch Your Thinking by Hand-Making Your Gifts

There are various perks to creating hand-made gifts, but the subtle facets of creative exploration that you'll pursue will be the most rewarding. Over the next week I will be writing a series of posts about how to create meaningful gifts for loved ones and friends, and stretch your thinking in the process.

So - I advise you to get a little crafty and tune in with me over the next week.

Here's a topic list for the series:

1. Try Out a New Creative Medium
2. Exercise Your Imagination
3. Problem Solving: Gaining Expertise
4. Forge a Sense of Independence
5. Moving Beyond Self-Satisfaction
6. Personal Touches vs. Devout Consumerism
   

How I Wear Florals (by using the art of balance)

A floral piece can be quite obnoxious if not worn with the right ensemble balancing it out. Although sometimes difficult to style, I'm in love with them right now. My style has morphed over the years -- from an athletic look to one with a more glamorous and girly flavor, so it makes sense that I'd enjoy florals. They are the classic delicate touch to any outfit. In both photography and fashion, I can't stay away. Here are my tips on how to balance out and wear this (long-lasting) trend.



Balance the fit of the garment
The blouse above has a flowy feel to it, but is cinched at the waist for emphasis. I chose to add skinny jeans because they also provide a contrast to the billowy top. The chandelier earrings mimic the width of the sleeves. The powder blue clutch purse serves as another focal point for the eyes.



Balance the colors
A common method in art pieces is to add a color in multiple places to draw the eye around and create interest. When I fashion my outfits, I tend to choose one piece to work off of and then continue building out from there.To create this outfit, I began with the floral skirt. I chose the pink ruffle top because it brought out accents of the pink from the skirt. The blue braided headband and yellow heels do the same trick. The ring on the other hand serves as a "toughener," adding a bit of metal grunge to this outfit of ruffles and flowers.


There you have it -- a couple of key points that I think about before putting on my florals in the morning.


So tell me: How do you like to wear florals?

5 Secrets to Overcoming Indecision

There's a strain that comes with too much freedom. A healthy soul knows that there are no limits to the possibilities of what it could be achieving right now. However, the mind isn't equipped to rationalize limitless options. We become indecisive when we aren't sure of the "best" path, or when we're sure there's always something "better" out there. A problem that I'm grappling with right now is that I haven't been able to make up my mind about how I want my new blog layout to look. I mean, I know that I can make anything happen if I put my mind to it -- but what do I really want to happen?

Here's how I'm narrowing things down so that I can make decisions and finally create something:

1. Pinpoint where your true happiness lies
If there's a gut feeling, follow it. In my case, I know I enjoy the crisp, clean, white-background layouts of many fashion blogs out there, so that's probably what I'll base my design on.

2. Do a little research
Just because you yearn for a certain outcome doesn't mean that it will be the best for you in the long-run. I suggest you check out competition to avoid being sold short. Your gut feeling can change with the right key information.

3. Expose yourself to inspiration
Sometimes all you need is someone to show you the way. I've been looking at the websites of skilled designers, feeding my own designer brain with high-quality images and well thought-out placement of site elements. This will eventually help me to imitate the great.

4. Retreat into your own mind
It is wonderful to be affected and moved by the work of others, but it is up to you to process that information and come up with your own mixture of styles.

5. Choose something
And understand that it's okay to fail, to pick something inferior to the "best" option out there. Keep in mind that you can always update, upgrade, outdo your original decision. This can't be the end of the world. So, don't let it be.

Happy choosing!

How to Successfully Make Your Own Duct Tape Dress Form

Making one of these homemade dress forms can save you plenty of money in the long run if you plan on creating clothes for yourself. The average price for an already-made dress form is about $150, and it's not even the same dimensions as your unique body! If you are to make your own, you'll spend an average of about $5-$15. I first got the idea from Youtube after researching sewing methods and DIY fashion, but I think that the advice I got from watching several tutorials was incomplete. So I'm going to give a run-down of my experience and a tutorial on how to avoid certain pitfalls.

Materials
-duct tape (at least 60yds, preferably more)
-scissors
-two plastic garbage bags
-a buddy

Estimated time required: 30-40 minutes

The Beginning
I was originally going to use an oversized t-shirt, but realized that it might be more effective to use a garbage bag since it would lie closer to my frame.

1)Line your body with a garbage bag (or two). To do this, cut holes for your head and arms and slip the garbage bag on. I used a plastic produce bag to line my neck. Use the second garbage bag to cover your lower-half if one bag doesn't reach your mid-thigh.

2) Rip pieces of duct tape into ruler-length strips until you reach the neck area, then rip the pieces smaller since you're working in a more delicate area. Pictured below: duct tape already formed around mid-section. (I look sort of like I'm dressing up for a Lady Gaga concert, no?)

3) After completing the midsection, move on to the chest. My only warning for this part: be sure not to create a uni-boob effect. Allow the tape to contour to you so that it's an accurate representation of you.

4) Be very sure to triple (or quadruple) the layers of tape so that it's a sturdy structure. I made the mistake of only putting two layers of tape on my form and it was fairly flimsy. This might be fixed when I fill it with polyfil, but for now it cannot stand on its own.


5) To remove the form, your buddy needs to cut it off of you in the back.

6) Tape it up in the back so that it is one whole piece again.

7) Stuff it with Polyfil (or anything else that you think will work).

8) Find a stand on which to hand/mount your form.

The Finished Product
The dress form actually looks pretty cool and futuristic. This project has got me thinking about other times where it's appropriate to wear duct tape clothing. Visions of Halloween are in my mind!

Last Week's Goal Review

As a refresher, here are my last week's goals, and my progress with them.

Creative Expression
+redesign my blog layout (working on the concepts for this)
+create a music video to a song (first attempt) (this is also in progress; the song I picked is really funny)
-finish up past three weeks of doodle club entries (have not started this yet!)
+make duct tape body form (done! Post about this coming soon)
+research prices for sewing machine (researched. Still not sure which one is right for me)

Scholarly Approach
+check out at least two books from the library (perhaps one in Spanish and one about sewing) (not yet, but I've got a plan in place; headed there tomorrow with the fam)
-find Spanish conversation partner (no progress as of yet)

Traveling
-research volunteer in exchange for lodging locations (still no)

This week has been a fairly productive one in terms of continuing with my interests and creating things that I've been meaning to complete. It will be a personal goal for next week to be even more productive.

Crafts Toy Box: Bringing Back the Memories

A wallop of time will be freeing itself up due to the onset of summer. Due to this, I'm deciding to let my creativity run wild, which also means that I'll be taking on more artistic challenges.

Right now I've been dabbling, and dabbling costs money if you're not already set up for the job. Hence, I'm slowly building up the inventory to be able to unleash my creativity. I recently likened the act of creation and crafting to my younger years of playing. My sister and I had a specific way we "played" with our toys. We usually created stories with our characters, and it was how we spent most of our free time. Of course, for the sake of organization, we had a large toy box that housed our action figures, stuffed animals, and general play things. Every morning when we woke up, we'd dig into our toy box and pull out some new toys to spark our imaginations. I want to do this with arts and crafts. By transforming plastic storage drawers into my crafts toy box, I feel excited every time I peek in.

Here's a picture of what my box looks like:


The top of the box holds my scrapbooking paper and my tissue paper (inside the American Eagle box).

Drawer 1
This holds my writing/drawing/painting tools and the other basic materials such as scissors and a sewing kit.

Drawer 2
In the second drawer, I keep my ribbons and lace, and general paper materials.

Drawer 3
I have miscellaneous things in this drawer; some of which include paper bags, beads, bows, and felt.

Now that I feel sufficiently prepped for any craft-work that I might do, it'll be much easier for me to go ahead and make things at the drop of a hat, or even ponder over what I could be making. This drawer is the perfect rainy-day thing for me to do.

Craft Project Completed: Black Pillow with Beige Lace Trim

I made this pillow for my lovely best friend's birthday last Thursday. I hand-sewed this one since I'm still not versed in the language of sewing machines. But I will fix that very soon. I'm in the process of researching the best sewing machine for my needs.

Weekly Goals: Week of June 7th

It's often easy to fall deep into details and trap yourself. It feels like you're working on something important when really your goals are far removed from what you're doing. You forget to put time limits on things that don't matter so that you can spend time on things that do. This is what I'm struggling with right now (as you may have read about earlier). I feel like I'm veering off into multiple directions without satisfying any of my goals (what were they in the first place?).

Here's my plan to combat this negative attitude towards productivity: I'll write a list of what I want to accomplish in the next week. It'll be out here for (potentially) anyone to read.

Creative Expression
-redesign my blog layout
-create a music video to a song (first attempt)
-finish up past three weeks of doodle club entries
-make duct tape body form
-research prices for sewing machine

Scholarly Approach
-check out at least two books from the library (perhaps one in Spanish and one about sewing)
-find Spanish conversation partner

Traveling
-research volunteer in exchange for lodging locations

This list is by no means complete, but for now it should serve as a launching point for any moments which I find myself busily daydreaming away my productive time.

Finally Understanding

I always tell my boyfriend that he shouldn't play so many videogames/iphone games/games in general. To me, they don't really accomplish anything besides the occasional increase in reflex speed. Today I connected the dots and realized that it's just what he likes to do. There doesn't need to be a goal or measurable outcome, only fun that results from his hobby. That should have seemed perfectly respectable from the start.

Some of the things that I enjoy in life are: photography, drawing, crafting, reading, writing, and interacting with children. He's got gaming. I understand.

Craft Project Completed: Stuffed Animal Memo Holders

I made these penguin and lion memo holders for my site managers at my job with the help and guidance of my boyfriend's sister. I decided to do this for them as a thank you for all of the support that they've offered me throughout these past two years of my college experience.

It feels nice to have been able to use my own skills, patience, and effort to create something that was intended for other people. Presenting them their gifts was a reward in itself. To me, it's a million times more valuable to receive a labor of love rather than to receive a store-bought gift. In addition, my site managers each have a unique present -- that no one else could ever replicate exactly.

Money is Random

If I want something, and I deem it would be valuable in my life, I buy it. I don't count it coming in, and I don't count it going out. I've tried many times to put a leash on my money, but it only seems to hurt me. I feel more free and I let myself do more when I don't view it as a finite source.

After reading books such as Rich Dad, Poor Dad, I see money as something that I have the capacity to earn. Losing all my money would not be the end for me. Not owning property has allowed me endless freedom. I'm lucky to have a wonderful support network (my family), so I'm not afraid to take risks and enjoy the items that money can buy me. Although I hold a fairly liberal view on money, that doesn't mean I spend recklessly. I'm quite frugal, and quite lucky. I value this luck completely and utterly.

Internet Break = More Inspiration?

So, I was on hiatus for a material-making-monster-appreciation-memorial-day-weekend. Yes. The gifts that I made for important people in my life consumed my weekend and countless hours beyond that. I feel so happy after having given the presents away, however. The crazy thing is, I don't even care if I get anything back in return.

A break from the internet was like me taking a breath of fresh air after having inhaled the stale recycled air of an office building for so long. I stepped outside. Outside of my normal boundaries, and outside of my mental comfort zone. I was finally able to focus on producing and not consuming.

The things I made include:

-a stuffed animal penguin memo holder for my site manager
-a stuffed animal lion memo holder for my other site manager
-5 mini scrapbooks for my team members
-goodie bags for the children in my preschool classroom

Taking on these projects and seeing them through to the end was a real confidence booster. Spending time on gifts for people who are important to me is so much more meaningful than buying presents. Store-bought items can be well thought-out, but are usually last-minute and don't hold the same intrinsic value.

In essence, my vacation from the internet was a productive one, and I'm not sorry that I took it.