Making Space for Creativity

This morning as I type this, I am breathing deep, deep breaths and reminding myself that it’s worth the mess to update a very outdated kitchen.  My house is fully covered in white dust and the laundry piles are high from post vacation laundry.  The youngest (who is still on independent study from our trip) and I have escaped to Starbucks to work.  He is working on his independent study and I am catching up on writing.  It feels good to sit and write.  It feels good to be creative. 

We all have to-do lists that feel like they grow at lightning speed.  Before we check a few things off, more is added and there is simply not enough hours to get it all done in a day.  Whether you are a full time employee to a SAHM, the same thing exists:  We are tired and busy.  Yet, we all need to take time to be creative. 

 I’ve shared the story many times that people assumed I would get rid of my crafting supplies once Ethan was born because suddenly having a baby would prevent me from doing creative things?  That is such a lie that we don’t need to believe.  When I was a teacher, I was just as busy, but nobody looked at me like I was crazy when I took an afternoon to just make some cards or bake some cookies. I think a lot has changed in the last 13 years with the rise of social media.  People are being creative EVERYWHERE!  Women are hitting up Lowes and Home Depot and building things, quilting and sewing is not your grandma’s hobby anymore! Same with stitching.  Just one look at some Etsy listings and you can see that people are making money off some of their creations!  Creativity is everywhere! 

 We need to make space for it. 

 Just like reading our Bible and moving our body, being creative means carving out a space for it.  This is not easy, but taking the time to be creative is so good for our physical and emotional health (you can read about that here). 

Let’s ask ourselves some questions:

:: In my free time each day, what is non-negotiable? What things do I have to do every day.  For me, opening the Bible and moving my body and if I can, I want to read. If we want to take the time to be creative and see how that changes our mindset/mental health, we need to add that to our top priorities. Is there a time I can make open to do something creative? 

 :: What brings me joy?  No, we are not going to Marie Kondo your time. . . Don’t worry.  But, what creative things bring you joy.  Drawing? Cooking?  Sculpting?  Decorating? Painting? Knitting? Coloring? The options are endless. 

:: How do I fit it in my daily or weekly routine?  This is where it gets hard.  It’s easy to speak, “I want to do something creative as often as possible,” but a bit harder to put it into practice.  Just like we make every effort in our day to move our bodies, drink enough water, make our bed (or not. . . Like I said, judgement free zone here!), and maybe, spend some time with God.  It’s not easy.  It is easy to plop down on the cushiony couch, nestled between some cozy pillows, and surf Netflix for the latest episode of Sweet Magnolias (100% guilty here!).  It really does take some time to make it a habit.  It takes about a month of doing something consistently for it to become a natural part of your routine. 

 :: Do I have to do a big project every day?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  It took Michelangelo more than three years to sculpt the famous David.  Find something you can work on a little bit every day.  I have several works in progress at one time.  I sew a few squares of a quilt when I have a few extra minutes or I sit down (Sweet Magnolias, please) and do some cross stitching.  Sometimes, the extent of my daily creativity is simply making dinner for my family.  Other times, it is opening a Paper Pumpkin box (I used to subscribe to their monthly kits and didn’t have time to do them all. . . I have a stash!) and making some cards.  Other times, It might be painting the hallway or restyling a shelf that needed a refresh. 

 How do I find out what my creative passions are?  I love Pinterest.  It’s is such a great place to find inspiration and tutorials (which is good, because I want to make some macrame key chains and I don’t know how! True story).   Now, this is where you need to lean in close and promise not to throw something at me.  Simply pinning things to a curated board to things you like is NOT BEING CREATIVE.  That’s just admiring and acknowledging the things you’re interested in.   We need to pick a pin and try it out.  Save that 40 percent off coupon and head to your local craft store and buy just enough supplies to try it out. Start with a small project and don't spend a lot of money on it. You don't want to waste money on something you really didn't enjoy. Maybe invite a friend to try making something with you. . . What ever makes it fun for you! 

 Try getting creative a few times this month and see what it does for your spirit!  I promise, you won’t regret it!  To get you inspired, I am going to leave you with a list of just a few creative ideas to get you going, but I promise you, there is more! 

 Sewing.stamping.scrapbooking.quilting.embroidery.cross stitch. Macreme.leatherwork.latte art.cooking.baking.writing.drawing.digitalart.pottery.painting.water coloring.styling.decorating.designing.jewelry making.lego building.bulletin board making.furniture building, wall painting.friendship bracelet.rubber band bracelets.landscaping.knitting.crocheting.letterpressing.screenprinting.print making.lettering.wool felting.

And there’s a bunch of other things too! 

 
Take a risk by making space for creating.  I promise you, you won’t regret it!

Finding the joy in creating

The library of my childhood was the best.  I have so many fond memories of being dropped off at the library for Saturday morning craft time.  It was there where I first learned the art of stringing red and white tri-beads on to pipe cleaners and bending the end to make a hook at the end and hopefully it looked like a candy cane by the time we left. 

My mom did a great job instilling us a love for the arts.  She made sure we enjoyed children's theater performances, craft mornings at the library, or just making sure we had a constant supply of crayons, markers, and coloring books.  I loved coloring.  I can remember sitting around my great grandma's table coloring. . . carefully outlining the area I wanted to color in and then lightly coloring inside those lines. I also remember 6th grade me burning my fingers with my mom's glue gun with leftover wedding flowers and hats (it was the early 90's. . . we glued flowers on hats and hung them on walls). My mom was constantly doing creative things. . . I can remember her painting clay nativities (they were gorgeous. . . I kind of wish I had one!) and staying up late to sew so many Cabbage Patch Kid outfits! By 7th grade, I had learned basics of cross stitch and had sewed several vests to wear to school (remember it was the early 90's).  

The more I read the Bible and get to know God, the creator of the Universe I see how important creating is, but also I see just how vast the possibilities are.  God spoke and things were created, he sculpted and had a vision.  He even gave Adam and Eve the job of naming all the animals. . . that's creating right there!  We, as humans and God's creation, are called to create. 

I think that's when we start stressing out.  We have this image that creators are those who make beautiful art and put them in galleries and art museums and sell their creations on Etsy, when in fact, every single day we are being creative in our everyday lives.  So many people tell me they don't have a creative bone in their body, but that's not true.  We might not feel artistic, but that's simply only a tiny aspect of creating. Cooking, baking, sewing, stitching, decorating, photography, painting, gardening, gluing, card making, arranging flowers, throwing a party, playing an instrument, dancing, writing, scrapbooking, organizing, running a ministry or a ministry team, teaching. . . all of those things take creativity.  Several of those things we do every day (I mean, we have to eat, right?)

Several years ago, a sweet friend of mine went back to work after being home with her littles.  She loved her kids and she loved her job, but she felt like something was missing.  In the hustle and bustle of the day, between drop offs, pick ups, and getting dinner on the table, she hadn't left room for something that had been bringing her joy.  So for Mother's Day, that year, she asked for the afternoon to simply work on a project she had been mulling over for several months.  She got her wish, and ended up with the most beautiful string art ocean waves on a piece of pier wood from their favorite pier that had recently been rebuilt.  It took time.  It took energy.  She tried something new and the end result was not only a beautiful thing to look at, but it was also refreshed her soul.  She came out of the afternoon of creating with a fresh and energized outlook on life.  

This same friend is also been seen taking beautiful pictures of strange leaves lying on the ground.  It makes her heart happy when she gets to squeeze in some creativity. I have another friend who just loves to do paint nights and another who is creating delicious recipes from around the world and writing books.  My newphew has been working hard on his Eagle Scout project, creating a sidewalk path at a local nursing home. There is no one way to be creative.  

This weekend, as you seek rest, I encourage you to embrace something creative, don't aim for perfection. God created us. . . and we are so far from perfect. . and he said it was very good.  Not just good, like he called all the rest of his creation, but very good.  We are constantly falling short (thank goodness for his grace!), but when it comes to being creative, let's offer ourselves some grace and keep trying. I started this post with a picture of the quilt block I made today.  It's not perfect. I can tell you several things that are wrong, but you know what. . . I still think it's beautiful and it made my heart refreshed after a kind of stressful week.  Don't give up on being creative.  It's good for your heart, soul, and mind!  

Try something new.  Finish a project.  Start a project.  Look at your Pinterest board and actually do one of the things that you pinned! Let me know what you did.  Tag me @jolieklassen on Instagram and show me your creations!

Valentines Day is coming! Let's send some Love out into the world!

 I love Valentines Day!  I loved it as a kid. . . I loved it as a teacher. . . and I love it as a mom!  So much fun!  I think random days thrown into the daily grind bring a reason to celebrate. And to be honest with you, some of you might be struggling to find that reason right now (which I totally understand!), and maybe this will help.  Maybe you just need to pin and and come back to it later.  

When the kids started school I was on the hunt for some not-so-expensive, not so sugar-y ways to send valentines that didn't scream cheap or full of sugar or ingredients that make a certain child of mine sick.  So, we got creative and came up with some really fun options that my kids were so excited about each year.  This year, I only have to come up with Valentines. . . because I the oldest is now in Jr. High and well, we all know how that is!  

So here's a rundown of my FREE (for you, because the goal is to keep the cost down) printables and directions for some really fun Valentines!  You can print them out on your printer, but I highly recommend spending the couple of dollars to get them printed over at Office Depot or Staples on 100lb cardstock.  The print quality is fantastic and the weight of the paper is perfect!

1.  Crayon Valentines (with alternative options): 

This is a great opportunity to recycle your old crayons and make them new again with a simple silicon mold.  Or you can just print out the tags and make a goodie bag with small boxes of crayons (the dollars store has 8 packs for super cheap!)

Click here to go to tutorial and printable. 

 These are also crayons using the lego mini figures ice cube tray.  Super fun and they were a huge hit.  other ways that you can use this printable are lego brick candies or party favors. . . just google lego party favors and you might find something.  If you are just using it for a few people, lego mini figure packs would be super fun! 

You can print them out here.

These are a different year. . . same idea and they might be one of my favorite printables to date!  Again, there are a lot of different ways you can use them. . . we just really like cutting up crayons. . . ha ha! 

You can get the printable here

2.  Glow Sticks

 I don't know about you, but glow sticks are always a hit in our house!  Check out these printables.  Other ways to adapt them are nail polish, bright glow in the dark pencils, markers, highlighters. . . so many possibilities! 

Click here for the original post

3.  You're a Star

These are technically crayons, but they can also be used for starbursts, star erasers. . . the possibilities are endless.  I did a quick amazon search "star party favors" and so many fun non candy items came up for pretty cheap.  You could totally get creative and have fun with this tag! 

click here for the original post

4.  Robots!!!

Robots are also a lot of fun.  I'm not going to lie. . . I really enjoyed using up old crayons when the kids were younger!  It was a lot of work, but I saved so much money!  However, I don't always have the time, so this one also has a ton of ideas. A quick amazon search for robot party favors brought up fun sticker packs, bendable robots, and wind up toys.  I even searched for robot erasers and pencils and there were some great options!

click here for original post 

5.  Harry Potter House Valentines

Got a older kid that wants to do some Harry Potter Valentines.  We picked up an ice cube tray at Williams Sonoma and made. . . you guessed it. . . CRAYONS!  However, don't let that stress you out.  Other options are so much fun.  Amazon brought up jelly beans, rubber bracelets, pencils, waterproof stickers.  There are so many options out there that you could find something super fun. . . without doing crayons. 

You can find the original post here

6.  Made Good Granola Bars Valentines

Back in 2020, before everything shut down, Weston really wanted to bring Made Good granola bars.  They have these cute small ones and that are so festive and so I designed a fun tag to go with them.  If you haven't heard about Made Good. . . they are basically your epic allergy friendly snack that is free of all the major allergy culprits.  It's a win in our house because its hard to find granola bars that don't have soy or dairy, but also have delicious chocolate in them.  You can also use any granola bar you want. . . we are just huge Made Good fans.  

You can go here to print

And that's a wrap of all the Valentines you can find on my blog.  For Free. Feel free to post yours in the gram and tag @jolieklassen or use the hashtag #outoftherightbrainblog so I can see how you used it!  

Now, I should probably get started on designing this years Valentines!  It's coming soon!