nourish your creativity

guest post from bonnie, going home to roost, simply handmade & home grown.

for some of us, creativity seeps from our very being, for others – it’s more of a casual indulgence, and for me- it depends on what day of the week it is. when my life, work and soul depend on my ability to be creative, it can be a little overwhelming at times. after all, you can only ‘juice’ yourself so much! so today’s post is to help you avoid over-juicing yourself, and find a few ways to replenish your creativity.

arrange your world beautifully

a question i often get, is how do i find material? for all kinds of creative beings (not just bloggers) – curating, collaborating and organizing beautiful things is way of life. it’s a source of inspiration. so whether it’s gathering beauty to share with others, or simply bookmarking finds to use as a source of inspiration later on, there are a few things i find very useful. i call them my style files.

there are number of ways i bookmark things around the web. rather than showing you my terrifying e-mail draft where i keep 100′s of links i sift through from time to time, i’ll opt to show you a more visually appealing tool, pinterest. pinterest is a free service where you can ‘pin’ things you find around the web, and share them in easy to manage folders, or ‘boards’. above you can see one of the boards that i’ve made.

i think it’s also important to make non-digital forms of style files. i’m always doggie earring pages and ripping magazines apart. it comes in handy to organize your findings in little notebooks and keep them nearby. sometimes i’ll collaborate things that inspire me and photograph them (like above) to use as future inspiration.

garden rhubarb soda

unplug for a bit

one of my favorite ways to feed my creativity is to step away from the computer. it’s so easy to get lost in the online world and social networking, especially when your business depends on it! when i’ve drained myself of all creative juices, i get up and get some fresh air. when i’m having a ‘brain block’ or can’t figure a sewing project out, i get up and take a minute to rejuvenate myself. i go for walk outside, make myself something yummy to drink, do a little yoga or simply open the curtains and crack the windows. when you remember to give yourself a little love, you’ll be back to your creative self in no time.

surround yourself with beautiful things

my final advice on boosting creativity, is to surround yourself with beautiful things. since i work at home, this usually means that i have to tidy up my messy house (or at least my sewing room) else, it will nag away at my creative ideas. keeping artwork, thrift store finds or favorite books in sight always seem to give me ideas and a fresh outlook.

another beautiful thing i like to keep around are fresh flowers. when i’m in a creative slump, it’s incredibly helpful to go to the garden and bring back a bundle of beautiful stems with me. then, the inspiration lasts for days as i pass them by or catch a scent of their sweet fragrance.

what about you? how do you nourish your creativity?

bonnie forkner is the editor of going home to roost. you’ll find her sharing diy projects, recipes, gardening ideas, handmade finds and passions for embracing a simpler way of life!