Let's get creative together!

Let's face it, Wisconsin winters can be brutal, and I'm not just referring to the cold weather! Winters here mean that most of us experience a bit or a lot of cabin fever, which can make us all a little cranky. For me winters translates into less work, which means that I have very little distraction from my downtime. However, I've learned to cope by seeing it as an opportunity to immerse myself in a variety of things I find inspiring and enjoy. In fact, during this time I take a much needed respite from my camera. Over the years I've found that this break is essential to my well being and offers me opportunities to seek creative inspiration from a variety of sources. That alone, invigorates new life into my work and leaves me feeling a renewed excitement for it when I return. I think of it as a kind of creative re-boot for myself.

Today I thought I'd share with you something I've recently created to aid me in cultivating and channeling my creative self in hopes that it may inspire you as well. Even if you don't have a great deal of downtime, you can still make this work. And if you don't see yourself as a creative person, there is no need to fret because no creative experience is required and it's not complicated in the least. My belief is that all of us could benefit greatly from a creative outlet, it's simply good for the soul.

I'll readily admit that one of my favorite guilty pleasures is spending countless hours surrounded by the comforts and smells of local coffee shops. Recently on a whim one cold and blustery morning, I threw some things in a bag that would allow me to be creative on the go and set out to for some me time. The bag is now what I refer to as my adult version of a child's "busy bag". Even if you're unsure of what a "busy bag" is, I'm sure you've seen one in action before. They are often offered to small children at churches for them to occupy themselves during the service if they lose interest in the message. It's usually a small canvas bag containing toys, books and coloring pages. I can attest to the fact that it can be a lifesaver in many situations if you have children! So how does an adult utilize a "busy bag" and what do you keep inside it?  Instead of a "busy bag" to simply pass time, it's actually more of a portable source that encourages moments of quite reflection and procures time to create without a timeline or purpose. It's contains items that aid in self-preservation, self-exploration and is catalyst for creativity. The fact that it's all contained in a bag means that it can be easily tucked away, but still available for you to grab on a whim, whether you take it to a coffee shop or simply to your bedroom, it's ready for you. I happen to keep mine in plain site so I'm encourage to use it more often.

So now that I explained the purpose of my "busy bag" I'd love to share with you what I keep inside mine, in hopes that it inspires you to give thoughtful consideration to what you'd have in your own.

One of the first things I have in mine is an adult coloring book and colored pencils. I had a friend give me my very first one last year for my birthday. I have to admit it was something that I would have never thought to buy for myself, nor had even considered that it would be something I'd enjoy, but low and behold I do! I now have a couple different coloring books, but my current favorite is the "Time Garden" by Daria Song. Adult coloring books are all the rage right now because they have been known to be a stress reliever. You can find these kinds of coloring book almost anywhere now, so I hope you pick one up. My advice is to find a coloring book that inspires you with it's images, you'll know when you find the right one because you'll feel like you want to jump right inside the page to explore. Something else to consider is what you'd like to color with.  Some choose to color with markers or gel pens for vibrant colors, however I have fallen in love with colored pencils because you can blend and use shading to make your coloring page come to life. I will certainly never be an artist that can draw or paint, so this is as close as it gets for me, but I totally enjoy this process. I allow myself the freedom to start and stop a page as I wish an without feeling like I "have to finish this" before I move onto something else.

The second thing I keep in my bag is my Erin Condren Planner. In this highly digitized world I still find that I prefer to write down my schedule and this planner is simply stunning! I'm very much a visual person, so I got hooked on stickers that make looking at my schedule at a glace super easy for my brain to register and digest. I have stickers for when my son has hockey, when I have coffee dates, and for when I have photo sessions etc. I'm completely aware that it may sound utterly juvenile, but gosh how I love it! It's just another way that I can get a creative fix in just a few short minutes without having to make a mess, not to mention that it's productive.  Along with stickers I have a pack of erasable colored ink pens, because let's face it I make lots of mistakes when it comes to scheduling things so the fact that I can erase is essential and the colors just make it pretty. Frixion colored pens by Pilot totally rock! I've only been able to find them on Amazon, but totally worth the wait! I also keep a small collection of washi tape in my bag which I also use to decorate the week, eek I just love it! 

Another creative tool I have in my bag is called a Smash Book. It's a simple spiral bound book with decorative semi-blank pages (they can be found at most craft stores). It's a place to stick anything down that inspires you or just odds and ends that you can't seem to part with. Mine contains quotes I find inspiring, thank you notes I've received, movie tickets and magazine clippings. Once again, it doesn't have to be pretty. In fact it's much better when you don't give it much thought and just paste something down. Sometimes I just stuff things in the front of the book as a kind of holding place until I have time to annually find a proper spot for it in the book. It's just a fun little book to fill up with whatever your heart desires, awesome right?

I also find that it's an absolute must to have the current book I'm reading with me, along with some headphones for music in case I need to drown out noise or want to have music be my inspiration.  So plan to leave extra room for other items you deme as necessities.

My bag has become a simple source of pleasure in my life, it beckons me on days when I'm feeling down or unmotivated and always leaves me feeling a little happier than before. I encourage you to discover for yourself the little joys this can bring you and I would love to know if you come to enjoy it as much as I do.  Perhaps your bag will have yarn and knitting needles, crossword books and a sketch pad. The ideas and combinations you can come up with are infinite! Have fun deciding what things you'll put in your bag and feel free to share your ideas in the comments below. Happy busy bag planning! 

By the way, I would also love to hear your suggestions for a name for the bag!!

Creatively yours,

Connie








   

Taking Anxiety out of Family Portraits

If there is one thing all of us with children have in common, it’s that we share the knowledge that time is passing by too quickly. Years seem to go by in the blink of an eye and suddenly we find ourselves watching in disbelief as our little baby marches off to their first day of Kindergarten. As we stand there watching them walk timidly up the stairs to school, we suddenly have visions of them going off to college and panic sets in.   We repeatedly ask ourselves year after year, “Where does the time go?” We promise ourselves that we will do a better job of documenting this special time in our life so we don’t forget a single thing.  We arm ourselves with our trusty cameras (or digital devices) and anxiously snap away, but when it comes to having professional family photos taken we tend to get cold feet or put it off for years! 

Chances are you know how invaluable family photos are, but everything associated with it may make you nervous.  We often find ourselves stressing over picking out the perfect outfits and the very thought of having our children sit and behave for photos can be exhausting to say the least. However, I want to share with you some secrets on how to get the family photo of your dreams without all the stress!

First and foremost, you need to let go of the preconceived idea of what the perfect family photo should look like. We’re constantly bombarded with images of families perfectly posed, with perfect outfits, perfect hair and smiles. That’s simply not realistic.  Who wouldn’t feel a little intimidated when we think that’s what we have to live up to? In fact, that’s often the reason we put so much pressure on ourselves to look and play the part of “the picture perfect family.” We think “perfect” is necessary to get a beautiful family photo, but it’s not! In reality just being who you are is exactly what is needed to get the best photos of your family.  The most beautiful and memorable photos come when everyone feels like being who they are is enough. If your children hate to sit still for photos, don’t! If being serious isn’t your thing then take silly photos, do what comes natural to your family. I promise you’ll be much happier with the results if you don’t try to be someone else’s idea of perfect. Just be yourselves, I’m confident you’ll have more fun that way.

My greatest piece of advice is to try your best to let go of the insecurities you have about yourself. Your insecurities are just that, yours, they only bother you. I can guarantee that you have never looked at a picture of your parents and thought “Gosh, they really should have lost 20lbs before they had this picture taken!” In fact, the things we dislike about ourselves aren’t even a factor in the eyes of our children.  For instance, my son could care less that my hair is standing on end when I wake up. He would literally let me leave the house like that without a second thought. Regardless of what you think about yourself, your children will simply be happy that they have a picture with their parents. They’ll love the memories captured, no matter “how you think you look” in the photos.

Another recommendation is to choose a photographer like you would a friend. I recommend talking to potential photographers on the phone or better yet in person. See if you have a real connection with the photographer. Chances are, if you don’t feel comfortable with them over the phone or in person (regardless of how great their work is) you will not feel comfortable in front of their lens either.  While you’re talking with them, take note of how they make you feel and if their personality agrees with your personality and your families.  I believe that having a photographer with whom you have a connection with has a real impact on the overall outcome of the session as well as the memories associated with it. If you take photos with a photographer you like and who likes you, it’ll payoff tenfold!

Finally, before you have your next family portrait session, take a moment to consider what you want your photos to say about who your family is at this moment in your lives. Do you want to look back and laugh about how goofy your boys were or do you want them to convey how tight knit your family was? Will the photographs show how silly your daughter was and how her main objective was to make you and your family laugh? I promise you, just a bit of forethought in this area will go a long way in helping you achieve the heartfelt family photos you’re longing for.  Be sure to share your vision with the photographer you chose, because it will be instrumental in completing your vision and result in quality photos!

I believe these suggestions will aid you in becoming more confident, stressing less and achieving the kind of photography that suits your family best. Whatever your family’s story, know that it’s authentic to you and should be documented in way that showcases that beauty and uniqueness.  Life is precious and so are the people we share it with, so promise yourself you’ll take action now and make it a priority to be photographed with your loved ones more often. I promise the memories you have captured today will be one of your greatest treasures in your family’s future!