Tag Archives: creativity

Abandon All Distractions!

Posted on by

I’ve got a problem. I’ve got a big problem. I’ve got lots of reading to do and lots of writing to do and it has to happen now. I’m feeling super-stressed and minus-time. I need an extra day a week and then some. I need a (completely safe and non-addicting) way to work twenty-four hours every day and I need it fast. Alas, this will not do. I cannot sleep less and expect to stay awake while reading. I cannot create an extra day or even a few more hours. What can I do? I’m quite seriously looking for suggestions … Continue reading →

Pen and Paper

Posted on by

I’ve started working on writing again (in-between my long stints of reading) and I’m realizing a disturbing trend that must have started with the dry erase boards (and probably in grade school or perhaps even earlier). It is the limitation of the digital. I grant, it’s not a complete limitation but there is certainly a tendency toward predefined types of marks and predefined layouts of those marks (columns, rows, etc…). I never fully realized how limiting these predefined structures are when working towards creative ends. A couple of weeks ago I had a great conversation with one of my professors … Continue reading →

What Gets Your Creativity Going?

We can read all the “how to” business books in the world but that will not necessarily make us better business people. The trick is to figure out what motivates us and what we respond to. When it comes to getting creative, we really need to tap into our own resources and determine what gets our creative juices flowing. We are all different. Recently, I was talking with a friend of mine who is just starting to work at building a home business and after making several suggestions, she finally said to me: “That just doesn’t work for me. I’m … Continue reading →

Do You Only Surround Yourself with Like-Minded Individuals?

Recently, I heard someone ask a question of a group of people and then add the clarifying caveat: “I don’t want to hear from those of you who have different opinions; I only want suggestions from like-minded individuals.” I could not help but wonder what was the point? I mean, how can only hearing from those who parrot your opinions be helpful in problem-solving, brainstorming, or even figuring out what is the best way to take your business? While having like-minded sorts around us can make us feel safer and more comfortable in our thinking, is that really the best … Continue reading →

Change the Way You Scrapbook

Scrapbooking is an every changing industry. As scrapbooker’s we strive to learn new techniques and find new embellishments and ways to adorn our beautiful scrapbook layouts. Sometimes we stray from the original goal of preserving our memories and sometimes we remember to keep the focus on the photos. Recently I picked up a copy of The Big Picture by Stacy Julian. While it was published a few years back, and I had glanced at it numerous times and really liked what I saw, apparently I was only scratching the surface of what the book would mean to me. I began … Continue reading →

No Photos – Creating Scrapbooking Layouts With No Photos

Have you ever found yourself wanting to create a layout about a situation, event or person that you had no photographs for? If you have, you are not alone. If you haven’t, these tips will still be useful and could possibly get your creative juices flowing and allow you to create beautiful layouts with no photographs. Whether it is because of bad photographs, no camera handy or lost camera or prints, there are certainly times in your life that you have been left without photographs for an event. It feels extremely frustrating at the time, but remember that journaling can … Continue reading →

The Flow of Creativity

Creativity is important in any work or business operation, but it is not always the easiest thing to access. We can get so bogged down in practical details and the mundane every day stuff in our home business that the last thing we are able to do is get those creative juices flowing. I do think, however, that there are things we can do to stimulate and celebrate the flow of creativity that can help us grow and build our businesses. I may not know much but what I have learned is that the better I feel, the more creative … Continue reading →

How About a Family Board Game?

One of my children is quite crafty and a few years ago, she went on a stint where she was making board games—creative, fun, and original board games. This is just the sort of project or activity that could be perfect for a family—how about coming up with a family-themed board game that is unique to your own family? You can make a family-specific board game that is based on an existing one, or come up with one of your own. I remember hearing about a family that made a board game from their vacation experience—including locations they visited and … Continue reading →

Wreck This Journal – Keri Smith

There’s nothing quite like a beautiful journal. They beckon, but they can also intimidate. Sometimes what you want to write or doodle doesn’t seem quite important or beautiful enough to go on those gorgeous handmade paper pages. Creativity is sometimes messy though. And to have the freedom to be creative, sometimes you need to write or draw things that aren’t perfect or pretty. And that’s why I like the Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith. It’s a paper back journal with sturdy pages. The pages are printed with directions. Some of the directions are silly. One page wants you to … Continue reading →

How to Make a Household Notebook

My household notebook is truly my household manager. Sometimes I think that if I didn’t have it, I would not know which way was up, at least half the time. I discovered household notebooks many years ago. I was shopping at store that sold these little planner things that were very small and you could record all kind of information in them. They were titled Household Inventory. Though truly there wasn’t much in them that made them an inventory. I came home and was thinking about the book. I did not purchase one, instead I had the creativity to make … Continue reading →