CREATIVE: The sickness that I want to have

So you know I love anything upcycled........anything that was once destined for the trash that can be cleaned up & reused in a new way?  Yeah, that's what I'm all about!!

From turning old tyres into funky lamps

Old t-shirts into yarn & then into funky bowls

Even old bathtubs being transformed into day beds

I'm in awe of what can be done

You don't have to look for to find inspiration - all of these ideas were found on Pinterest - and there's a WHOLE WORLD of op shops (thrift shops) and recycling centres for you to fossick around.

It's just a matter of seeing something within something else.............which is the biggest challenge for me

How does someone see an old cupboard and think to themselves, "I'm going to turn that into an aviary!"

upcycled aviary

Who see's an old cup & saucer and think to transform it into a bird feeder!?!!

bird feeder

These people make me sick!!!  And I want their illness!!

I've started a board with a bit of inspiration on Pinterest - if you want to add to the list, why not join me down the rabbit hole!?!!

http://www.pinterest.com/vicki_sinclair/upcycling-love/

OPINION: #committobeingcreative

The Grammar Nazi in me is hating on the title of this blog.............just sayin'

A reintroduction if you will!

Hi, my name is Vicki, sometimes called Dotti - mostly called a busy girl who doesn't stick with one thing for very long.....as my blog page would attest!!!

This year (I know it's nearly 1/4 through, I'll explain about that later!) I'm going to get back to being creative, if only for 10 minutes a day, and keep the creative side of me happy!!!

Do you remember this blog post I did all those years ago!?!!  well it's all still true!!  And close to 3 years later, it's more important than ever!!

I'm not going to make this super long...........just want to put it out there again that I plan on doing something small every day to feed my creative heart, and PUT MYSELF FIRST, even if it's only for 10 minutes a day!!

Make sure you stay creative - do a big project over months with your ten minutes, or do something new every day - JUST DO IT IS WHAT I SAY!!

But don't let me talk you into it - here's Shia LaBeouf to get you inspired!!!

inspiration - when it strikes is up to you

it's a hard thing having a blog.........and running a business.............and staying sane while raising a family................

the momentum is very much like a roller coaster for all three of these things.............

sometimes you're cruising along and things are working well - then you have to dig in and climb an invisible wall just to see the other side.

at other times you are filled with endorphins that can only be explained as fireworks going off inside..........I think these moments happen mostly when you stop and just allow the world to show you all you have..........rather than when you are running around chasing your tail and wondering if there's light at the end of the tunnel.

Want to know the truth!?!!

THERE IS NO TUNNEL!!

There is darkness and there is light, and the light that you notice is always there, if you are IN THE MOOD to notice it.

You can't rely on other people to show you that light - cause you'll be in the zone now & then, but it's something that you have to learn to find yourself...........

Whether is be in the form of daily meditation
or if you feed yourself well and look after your body (which means you'll notice how fit you are)
or if you spend ten minutes a day being creative (see my #committobeingcreative post here )
or if you just sit with a cuppa and a magazine at the end of the day, and find some time to JUST BE

So find that time when you can...............but make sure to give yourself CONSCIOUS SIGNS TO DO IT.

    *    post it notes telling you to JUST BE
    *    get a tattoo that says it and remind yourself often
    *    set a time on your phone
    *    do whatever works

Cause it's not going to happen as often if you wait for it to spontaneously occur.  

 

If you're still stuck, Nik from the Mindfulness project is an expert who can advise you about what you need to do - it's a great blog and I think I'll have to book into the 8 week mindfulness course very soon!!  Here is her blog about Here is her blog about a change of pace

commit to being creative

woo - time is a funny thing...............

You think of so many things you're going to do at the beginning of the day, and then BAM!!!  it's 5 o'clock and you have NOTHING TO SHOW for it!!

it's not always like that, but most days, if you're anything like me, you have grand plans of doing a heap of things, but then a little thing called life gets in the way, and you're lamenting at the end of the day for the rest of the world to stop, just so you can catch up on what you had planned.

WELL STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!!

You are not going to get everything ticked off your to-do list - so stop beating yourself up about it!

You are going to look at a million things every day (thanks Pinterest) that you want to do, but you JUST CAN'T!!

You are going to struggle each & every day to find some time to release that creative monster in you.............I know this................it eats me up each & every day too!!

BUT....................YOU CAN #committobeingcreative!!

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT!?!!

With life being so busy these days, it's almost impossible to find time for YOU!!  Husbands, wives, jobs, kids, pets, family, friends, businesses, volunteering, sports, groups, etc.  WHEN DID WE GET SO BUSY!?!!

My new mantra is commit to being creative - simply find 10 MINUTES EVERY DAY to do something that you LOVE!!

It doesn't have to be crafty - you can cook, sing, read, make chutney, declutter, clean, scream, laugh, listen to music, watch a recorded show, hell.........you can even sleep if you want!!

The secret is to do it EVERY DAY,  for a minimum of 10 minutes..............that's all!!!

It's damn near impossible to find a half hour each day - and don't even TRY for a full hour to yourself.............but 10 minutes..........hey, that just might work!!!

SOME SUGGESTIONS TO HELP YOU FIND 10 MINUTES

Get up 10 minutes earlier than you usually do
put your hair in a bun instead of drying it for the day
put on lippy & mascara and forego the spakfilla makeup (you are beautiful enough!)
put the cereals & milk out for the kids and tell them to make their own (they can do it, believe me!)
reward your kids with tv time if they get ready early, then you can all start the day relaxed
get the train and use that time to do your thang
at work, during your lunch break (you know you're entitled to one!)
set an alarm for the same time every day so you don't forget
at night send the kids to bed and stay up 10 minutes later (if you can make it only 10 minutes!)

Now I'm not saying that it's going to be easy to find that time..........every day is different, and every situation is more challenging than the last...........and you'll probably find yourself spending more than 10 minutes a day doing it sometimes............but that's not a bad thing, is it!?!!

Before you give me your pity stories about how busy you are.....................I run a small business in a retail space that is open 6 days a week............I have to do the business work behind the scenes to make sure the business is running professionally after hours too (that BAS isn't going to do itself)..............I have a second job helping a friend two days a week (work that out!!)...........I have two school aged children who i need to care for and spend time with, who also play sports on weekends and train after school twice a week................I have a husband who is away more than he is at home (luckily he's also willing to give me time away when he gets back on weekends)................and I have no family members nearby that I rely on.

So................your excuses won't work here!!

Find 10 minutes a day to do something you love - YOU KNOW YOU DESERVE IT!!

I've already started the promotion on instagram last month, and we've already had nearly 700 posts from all over the globe!!

So why don't you join the party and #committobeingcreative...............starting TODAY!!!!