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