creative cleanse

Reflecting

February 22, 2013

I wanted to spend some time today reflecting on this exercise that many of us have been doing this past week. When I recorded my vlog last Thursday, I set out to blog every day with something new that I created. That clearly didn’t happen, and while it stressed me out a little bit yesterday, I think that it’s important to know your limits. And with all the work that I had yesterday (which is mostly creative) I just didn’t have it in me to do something else. And that’s okay.

I also wasn’t entirely successful in staying off of blogs and Pinterest. It was just too hard with blog posts popping up on Twitter and Facebook every two seconds. I think what I’ve learned moving forward is that I don’t have to try to keep up with blogs all the time. I’m thinking about abandoning my Google Reader altogether- it’s really just a way for me to hoard information.

I really want to thank everyone who tweeted, instagrammed, or commented about the the creative cleanse this week. Your support was incredibly motivating and it made me so happy to see others inspired to take action in their own creativity! I so enjoyed posting it on Instagram that I think I’ll probably continue to use that hashtag for future creative cleanses, even if they’re just for an afternoon or so. Have a wonderful weekend!

Krystle experimented with patterns.

Kristin made some cute fabric eggs!

Eliza was a creating machine! Loved all the different ways she exercised her creativity.

Evani made s’mores bars (they look amazing!)

Betsy did a sweet needlepoint project.

Annabelle made this cool illustration.

Allyssa came to the realization that she needed to create on her own, which is so important to recognize.

And thank you so much to everyone who tweeted and instagrammed their creative endeavors! I so enjoyed seeing everyone’s projects.

You can only go forward.

Four recipes that I’ve tried recently.

A page from my sketchbook.

A look at our wedding on Sugar and Type.

An interview about my work and creative path on Her Silent Musing.

An interview about why I blog on Designing a Life.

Hands

February 20, 2013

I’ve gone on many times about my sketchbook– it’s probably my go-to creative outlet. When I sat down with it yesterday, I flipped to this page and thought about how I don’t draw very often anymore. So I whipped out my pencils and added to it a little bit.

One of the things that I struggle with when it comes to drawing is finding something to draw. That’s the good thing about your hands I guess- they’re always there and ready to be challenging. I love the process of drawing and erasing and drawing again- it wasn’t until I stepped away that I realized that these parts of hands are kind of creepy on their own. But I kinda like them. I also like how some of the hands (or parts of hands) are much more fully realized than say the blind contour line drawings that I did on the right side of the page.

It doesn’t really feel done, but I wanted to show you what I was working on yesterday. When you’re layering drawings like this I think it’s hard for it to really feel “done.”

Do you like to draw? And if you’ve been doing some creative cleansing, what have you been working on?

Four Lighter Comfort Food Recipes

February 19, 2013

I don’t really share recipes on the blog anymore, but let’s be real- food is still a huge part of my life. I’ve tried a few new recipes this winter, and I thought the creative cleanse would be a good time to share them with you guys in case you’re looking for something new to try.

During the winter I always struggle between my constant desire for comfort food and my wish to be able to fit comfortably into my clothes. I’ve discovered that chili and hearty soups and stews are the answer. And if it’s in the crockpot? Even better.

1 Chicken Taco Chili || This one is an old favorite- I make this at least every other week. It’s so good and it’s easy to throw together, and it’s a crockpot recipe! Win.

2 Vegetarian Chili || I’ve made this twice now and we really like it! Just make sure that if you’re soaking dry beans that you add enough water- I didn’t and mine were too firm the first time. Next time I want to try this one in the slow cooker.

3 Chicken Chili with Barley || I made this on Sunday and I loved it! Brian’s not into zucchini, so he wasn’t really a fan. I felt like it was more of a soup than chili, so manage your expectations accordingly.

4 Potato, Barley, and Canadian Bacon Soup || I made this a few weeks ago and it was really good! This one is probably the least filling, so you might want to pair it with some salad or bread.

Do you have any tried and true recipes that you like in the winter? I’m always looking for something new to try!

Go Forward

February 18, 2013

Maybe it’s just winter, but I’ve been feeling generally uninspired so far this year. Until recently, that is. I don’t know about you, but when I get into a funk, I find myself thinking of better times and trying to go back to feeling a certain way.

This phrase has been creeping in the back of my head for a few weeks now. Because really, you can’t go back to feeling a certain way- you can only grow and move forward and hope that the future is just as happy and inspired, if not more, as the place that you’re coming from.

I doodled this in one of my sketchbooks a few weeks ago, and then worked on the lettering in Illustrator and I layered it with a picture that I took from the car on a happy day in December. I really love working on lettering but it’s something that I don’t spend time on very often.

By the way, your reaction to the creative cleanse has seriously been so inspiring! Keep in coming- I want to see the projects you’re working on!