La Luna Solstice For Sale At INPRNT

Hi, Creative Friends,

Summer is such a wonderful time of year! We might find ourselves wanting to do more and see more! There are trips to take, people to see, and lots of sweet moments to check off our summer bucket list. Even with the longer days, we can feel the endless summer days floating away. We might find ourselves feeling rushed and not enjoying the best thing summertime has to offer us: the art of slowing down.

This week, let’s slow down summer with these 3 epic creative ideas…

1. Garden Gone Wild: Is there an epic amount of zucchini squash growing at this moment in our garden or mounds of it piling up at the local market? Try slowing down by baking up and enjoying this recipe for Double Dark Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. They are as delicious as they are creative and can help us enjoy summer slowly one bite at a time.

2. Slow Sip: Whether we put our feet up by the beach or lounge in our backyard, cocktails have a way of making summer slow. Try stirring up one of these “Best Summer Cocktails 2022” recipes from Good Housekeeping or try this “Ranch Water” recipe from A Couple Cooks to meander into bliss on a hot summer afternoon.

3. Just Sit: It seems counter-intuitive to just sit, close our eyes and do nothing but did you know there are many benefits of staying still for just a few minutes a day? Read more about how just 5 minutes of sitting can balance out our being on “Mindfulness: Sit Still For 5 Minutes A Day” on WebMD. Jump into a hammock, pull up a camping chair, or sit on the soft grass and pause for 5 min to soak up and slow down each moment that summer offers us.

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how will you slow down this summer.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

Get Your Free Father’s Day Card Here

Hi, Creative Friends,

Here is a public service announcement. Sunday is Father’s Day! If you are a bit like me, it’s hard to think of a way to celebrate and honor all the father figures who have made a positive impact on our lives. They show up when we really need them like when the car tire is flat, when a raccoon scratches up the yard or the kitchen garbage is overflowing with two-week-old broccoli. Let's…

Tell Dad He Is Super With These 3 Last-Minute Creative Ideas.

1. DIY For Dad: Create a one-of-a-kind gift for any dad with these “40 Easy DIY Father’s Day Gifts” from Good Housekeeping. Each DIY idea is simple, thoughtful, and super!

2. Make Breakfast Memories Together: If food is the way to a dad’s heart, try this easy and delicious pancake recipe, Simply Perfect Pancakes by King Arthur Baking. This recipe makes the most buttery, fluffy pancakes and will create a meal fit for a Superman.

3. Tell Dad He’s The Best: Download this FREE Dad’s Day Card and drop Dad a note and tell him he is one rad dad because even the best dad needs to hear he is super.

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you create and celebrate with Dad!

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

Hi, Creative Friends,

School is out for the summer! It isn’t even July yet and we are probably already hearing the summer battle cry “I’m bored!” That’s why…

This Week Here Are 3 Colorful Creative Ideas To Keep Kids Happy…

1. Raise The Art Bar: The tiny humans in your home will love the long list of colorful and simple art projects from Art Bar. Most of the projects on Art Bar’s Blog don’t need special tools and would delight any summer day!

2. Drone On With Scribbles: With just a few supplies kids can make their very own homemade drone with this tutorial from Science Buddies on YouTube. Could there be a cooler way to teach kids about circuits, and gravity and keep them engaged for hours? Or they can try coloring their world amazing with these DIY Scribble Bots from We Are Curious.

3. Popsicle Passion: What is a better way to get kids creative in the kitchen this summer than a recipe for something sweet, cool, and delicious? Kids can leave off the oven and whip up a summer rainbow with these “Rainbow Popsicles Recipe” or keep the creativity going in the kitchen and try this book “STEAM Kids In The Kitchen” for a great way to cook up a summer full of science!

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you are keeping your tiny humans busy this summer.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

Hi, Creative Friends,

It’s June and that means it’s unofficially summer! If you are a bit like me, summer is like a sweet breeze that rolls in after a long hot day. That is to say, summer is a good time to create gratitude for the little things like juicy popsicles, cannonballs in the pool, or taking a long-deserved pause from work. No matter how we usher in this season summer it’s calling that’s why…

This Week Swing, Into Summer With These 3 Creative Ideas…

1. Popsicle Passion: What is a better way to usher in summer than creating something sweet and delicious in the kitchen? Try leaving off the oven and whipping up something cool and making a summer rainbow with these “Rainbow Popsicles Recipe.” They are healthy, delicious, and a great way to swing happy info summer.

2. Birthday Blooms: June is full of summertime birthdays and if you are looking for a way to create a happy day, try gifting this month’s birth flower print from INPRNT “The Rose.” It’s a beautiful way to celebrate and create a special moment for those start of summer birthdays.

3. Beach Day Read: If you are a bit like me, reading is the ultimate escape. Dive into a good book this summer by picking one of these books from the Atlantic’s 20 Books For This Summer and find yourself swimming in a sea of escape.

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you will swing into summertime!

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

La Luna Solstice For Sale At Society 6

Hi, Creative Friends,

Summer is such a wonderful time of year! We might find ourselves wanting to do more and see more! There are trips to take, people to see and lots of sweet moments to check off our summer bucket list. Even with the longer days, we can feel the endless summer days floating away and we might find ourselves feeling rushed and not enjoying the best thing summertime has to offer us: the art of slowing down.

This week, let’s slow down summer with these 3 epic creative ideas…

1. Garden Gone Wild: Is there an epic amount of zucchini squash growing right now in your garden or mounds of it piling up at the local market? Try slowing down by inviting over an old friend to bake up and enjoy this recipe for Double Dark Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. They are as delicious as they are creative and help us enjoy summer slowly one bite at a time.

2. Slow Sip: Whether we put our feet up by the beach or lounge in our backyard, cocktails have a way of making summer slow. Try stirring up one of these “Best Summer Cocktails 2022” recipes from Good Housekeeping or try this “Ranch Water” recipe from A Couple Cooks to meander into bliss on a hot summer afternoon.

3. Just Sit: It seems counter-intuitive to just sit, close our eyes and do nothing but did you know there are many benefits of staying still for just a few minutes a day? Read more about how just 5 minutes of sitting can balance out our being on “Mindfulness: Sit Still For 5 Minutes A Day” on WebMD. Jump into a hammock, pull up a camping chair, or sit on the soft grass and pause for 5 min to soak up and slow down each moment that summer offers us.

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how will you slow down this summer.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

Get Your Free Father’s Day Card Here

Hi, Creative Friends,

Here is a public service announcement. Sunday is Father’s Day! That’s why…

This week, tell dad “I Love You With These 3 Last-Minute, creative ideas…

1. Give Dad The Joy of Learning: If dad is a lifelong learner who is always searching to expand his knowledge, sign dad up for an e-learning site such as Skillshare or Master Class.

2. Make Breakfast Memories Together: Baking in the kitchen and eating a meal together can create such joy! Try this easy and delicious pancake recipe, Simply Perfect Pancakes by King Arthur Baking. This recipe makes the most buttery, fluffy pancakes! Give dad a bottle Runamok Burbon Barrel Maple Syrup and share a beautiful breakfast together.

3. Tell Dad He’s The Best: Download this FREE Dad’s Day Card and drop dad a note and tell him he is one rad dad or order him this fun and dad-inspired La Moustache print on Society 6.

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you create and celebrate with dad!

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

Hi, Creative Friends,

School is out for summer! Are we hearing the summer battle cry “I’m bored!” and it isn’t even July? That’s why…

This Week Here Are 3 Colorful Creative Ideas To Keep Kids Happy…

1. Raise The Art Bar: The tiny humans in your home will love the long list of colorful and simple art projects from Art Bar. Most of the projects on Art Bar’s Blog don’t need special tools and would color a kid’s mind amazing!

2. Drone On With Scribbles: With just a few supplies kids can make their very own homemade drone with this tutorial from Science Buddies on YouTube. Could there be a cooler way to teach kids about circuits, and gravity and keep them engaged for hours? Or they can try their hand at coloring their world amazing with these DIY Scribble Bots from We Are Curious.

3. Popsicle Passion: What is a better way to get kids creative in the kitchen this summer than a recipe for something sweet, cool, and delicious? Kids can leave off the oven and whip up a summer rainbow with these “Rainbow Popsicles Recipe.” They are healthy, delicious, and a great way to keep kids happy and creative.

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you are keeping your tiny humans busy this summer.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

The Rose - June Birthday Flower Print For Sale At Society 6

Hi, Creative Friends,

It’s June and that means it’s almost officially summer! If you are a bit like me, summer is like a sweet breeze that rolls in after a long hot day. That is to say, summer is a good time to create gratitude for the little things like juicy popsicles, cannonballs in the pool, or taking a long-deserved pause from work. No matter how we usher in this season summer it’s calling that’s why…

This Week Swing Into Summer With These 3 Creative Ideas…

1. Popsicle Passion: What is a better way to usher in summer than creating something sweet and delicious in the kitchen? Try leaving off the oven and whipping up something cool and making a summer rainbow with these “Rainbow Popsicles Recipe.” They are healthy, delicious, and a great way to swing happy info summer.

2. Birthday Blooms: June is full of summertime birthdays and if you are looking for a way to create a happy day, try gifting this month’s birth flower print from Society 6 “The Rose.” It’s a beautiful way to celebrate and create something special for those start of summer birthdays.

3. Pool Perfect Prose: If you are a bit like me, reading is an escape, and the more stories we read about others, the more we create compassion and understanding we have for others. However, who has time to read a good novel when life is busy? Here is where a summer reading list calls us and we only need to look at this list of 2022 Summer Reading from “How Sweet Eats” to find a story worth dropping work and lounging by the pool for! I

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you will swing into summertime!

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

California Dream Girl Print At Society 6

Hi, Creative Friends,

California Dreaming. What is it? The Urban Dictionary says the term California Dreaming is often referred to “as a laid-back fairytale-like mentality and usually means that one is hoping for something that is not going to happen.” In short, it is a state of denial.

This week, let’s create a state of denial with these, 3 creative ideas.

1. Bake Some Sourdough: California is the Golden State with its warm rays of sunshine, shiny beaches, rivers shimmering with real flecks of gold, and delicious, golden sourdough bread. If creating a warm loaf of tangy, billowy, and yeasty goodness sounds like a fun creative project, get the cookbook “Tartine Bread” by Chad Robertson. It’s dreamy, delicious, and takes a fairytale approach to bake up a truly special yeasty California loaf.

2. Style-Up For Beach Day: Stepping out on a Southern California beach, the first thing that becomes apparent, protection from the sun and creative beach style is a top priority! If you need a hat to protect and create that state of a totally cool vibe, try a Peter Grimm Lifeguard Beach Hat. The brim is as wide as the laid-back style and paired with this cute California Beach Towel from Society 6, consider beach dreams created.

3. Get Starstruck With The Small Things: When we see others play out their dreams, we can’t help but dream big ourselves. Watching the show “Hacks” on HBO about a larger-than-life female comedian who partners up with a younger entitled comedy writer makes for great entertainment. If having art on a wall inspires laid-back Cali dreams, try either the California Girl or California Wildflowers art print from Society 6. They are a small way to create a little California Dreaming.

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you create California Dreaming in your life.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

A FREE Greeting Card For Dad!

Hi, Creative Friends,

Here is a public service announcement. Sunday is Father’s Day! That’s why…

This week, let Dad know he is important with 3 fun, creative ideas.

1. Give Dad The Joy of Learning: If dad is a lifelong learner who is always searching to expand his knowledge, sign dad up for an e-learning site such as Skillshare or Master Class. There are so many interesting classes under their affordable monthly membership packages, dad will undoubtedly find a class to dive into such as “Creative Magic: How To Unlock Your Creative Magic Now.”

2. Make Breakfast Memories Together: Baking in the kitchen and eating a meal together can create such joy! Try this easy and delicious pancake recipe, Simply Perfect Pancakes by King Arthur Baking. This recipe makes the most buttery, fluffy pancakes! Give dad a bottle Runamok Burbon Barrel Maple Syrup and share a beautiful breakfast together.

3. Tell Dad He’s The Best: Download this FREE Dad’s Day Card and drop dad a note and tell him he is one rad dad or order him this fun and dad-inspired La Moustache print on Society 6.

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you create and celebrate with dad!

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

Hi, Creative Friends,

The natural world is an interesting place and sometimes we forget, as humans, to pause and see the value in other organic things. That’s why…

This week, let nature inspirewith these fun, creative ideas.

1. Go Outside And See The Story In Nature: Trees are all around us. If you are a bit like me, thinking about the story of trees seems a little bit peculiar. However, this where the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Overstory” by Richard Powers becomes powerful. It’s an excellent read and fascinating in its perspective about humans as they relate to the natural world.

2. Bake & Eat Something New: Baking with natural ingredients can be inspiring and fun. Try this new cookbook “French Pastry Made Simple” by Molly Wilkinson. Molly makes the most complicated french pastry recipes, such as cream puffs and eclairs, simple and sweetens the experience with her American In France perspective. Also, Molly evangelizes the benefits of using natural vanilla bean paste such as Heilala Vanilla or a real vanilla bean when making something delicious such as Pâte Sucrée crust. It really will inspire baking naturally!

3. Paint & Send A Greeting: When was the last time we paused to take in nature? The colors, the scent, the sounds the natural world creates are incredible. Sit quietly in a garden or park and then paint, draw, create a collage with nature’s inspiration. Try creating a special greeting card for a friend on these Strathmore Creative Cards paired with a Kuretake Gansai Watercolor set. It’s a creative way to get out into nature, inspire fun and spread creativity.

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you are letting nature inspire your creativity.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

California Wildflower Art Print For Sale At Society 6

Hi, Creative Friends,

It’s not officially the season of floating down a lazy river, eating boatloads of ice cream, or loafing around the backyard. However, in preparation for summer let’s take…

This week, sweeten the start of the summer with these 3 happy, creative ideas.

1. Go Wild In Your Backyard Or Living Room: Is there anything more beautiful than snipping a bouquet of homegrown wildflowers? Try planting a bundle of California Wildflower Seeds brimming with Golden State poppies or purchase this California Wild Flower art print from Society 6 to start the season sweet and make any room happy.

2. Make A Travel Plan In Your Own Kitchen: Some of us are yearning to travel to someplace new but still are having trouble leaving the comfort of our own home. Try creating a sweet escape in your own kitchen with this new cookbook “French Pastry Made Simple” by Molly Wilkinson. Molly makes the most complicated french pastry recipes, such as cream puffs and eclairs, downright simple and sweetens the experience with her American In France perspective.

3. Let’s Go Fly A Kite: A super cool DIY project is always an exciting way to celebrate the start of summer and kite flying always makes the soul soar. Making one’s own kite is thrilling and easy! Here is how to make a kite from a blue IKEA bag. This project makes for a happy way to create a sweet, happy summer moment!

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you are creating sweet summer.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

// hello friends -

Summer time is here! That means mother nature has turned up the heat, barbecue season is in full swing, and it’s time to rummage through our recipes to find the perfect warm weather treat.

Look no further.

Let’s cut to the chase.

Here is a cool and saccharine summer dessert that might just go down as the best recipe of Summer 2019. It’s a salty, sweet, buttery, sour treat that doesn’t require oodles of oven time:

Strawberry Rhubarb Pretzel Pie.

We could discuss how this pie might remind us of an old fashioned, delightful, fluffy, jello drenched, cream cheese delight that our grandma whipped up for summertime get togethers, or just like key lime pie, the whipped texture is a lovely complement to the heat a barbecue provides but I promised to go straight to the good stuff, so here is the recipe.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pretzel Pie

Serves 8 // Prep Time 1 hour // Cooling Time 3-4hours

Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:

• 1 pound fresh strawberries washed, hulled, and cut in half

• 1 pound fresh rhubarb stems chopped in 1/2 inch chunks

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1 lemon

Pretzel Crust:

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Snyder Of Hanover Butter Snap Pretzels® very finely ground

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cream Filling:

• 1 -14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Garnish: (optional)

• 3-5 strawberries

• 10 pretzels crumbled

• whipped topping

Step 1: Grease one 9-inch pie or tart pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Make the Strawberry Rhubarb Mixture. Place strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and water in a large saucepan. Turn stove to high heat. With a knife or vegetable peeler, shave several strips of peel from the lemon and add them to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until the rhubarb and strawberries are soft. Remove from heat, add the juice of the entire lemon to the mixture. Let cool to let the flavors combine.

Once cool, pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer and press the mixture with the back of a spoon to remove the liquid from the mixture. The straining should result in 2-3 cups liquid. Measure out a 1/2 cup liquid and 1/2 cup pulp in separate bowls. Place in the refrigerator and cool completely.

(Save the remaining pulp and liquid for later. It’s great on pancakes, mixed with soda water for a mocktail or spooned over yogurt for a sweet snack.)

Step 3: Make the Crust. In bowl, add the pretzels, butter and sugar. Stir until combined. Evenly press the pretzel mixture into the bottom of the pie pan. Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and let the crust cool completely. Baking will help the crust remain whole.

Step 4: Spoon the cooled 1/2 cup pulp into the bottom of the pie crust and smooth evenly. Set aside.

Step 5: In a medium bowl add the sweet and condensed milk and the 1/2 cup syrup. With a hand mixer, combine until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping. Poor into the pie crust.

Step 5: Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until set. Garnish with additional berries, pretzels and whipped topping. Store in refrigerator.

This is will be the darling of any summer barbecue. It’s the perfect warm weather pie!

Enjoy every last bite and see to soon summer friends! //

This post contains {affilate links}.

Sometimes it's the small things that make us happy in summer. Maybe it's the languid sun's rays or the call of dripping soft serve after a long day at the beach; style and self-care come top of mind as the days become longer. Yes, some things are more important in life, like nourishing our career ambitions, raising tiny humans and getting our task list complete. However, it's the summer season that reminds us that we all need time to kick back, relax and enjoy our existence, after all, life is short. This time of year gives us permission to treat ourselves to little treasures and an excuse to mark this moment in time with something special for ourselves or for someone we love.

Here are five great accessories that will make summer special.

1. Cotton Block.

Man or woman, we all need a splash of color to wrap around our heads and block out the summer sun. A cotton bandana is an answer to style and convenience in one little swatch. 

//Madewell Cotton Bandana//

2. Beach Bum.

We all need a good bag to tote stuff to the beach and back. Books, towels, and the swim gear need a stylish home. Let's try this super unique tote from Society6.

//Ice Cream Tote//{affilate link}

3. Fun In The Sun

Running, swimming and playing all day is going to require us to slather on the sunscreen and this one has got us covered with all tropical scent of summer.

//Sun Bum SPF 50//{affilate link}

4. Shimmer On Summer.

For all the ladies out there that need simple glitz to accent minimal summer dressing, this set of three necklaces makes summer style easy. Each necklace can be worn separately or together and at different lengths. It's the answer being fabulous without a lot of fuss.

//Madewell Treasure Pendant Necklace Set//

5. Skin Is In.

Some of us shy away from showing off our goods when summer strikes but let's throw caution to the wind and break out the semi-naked parts. Let's shimmy into a bikini or dive into some board shorts and start living the good times of summer life.

//AE Aerie Henley Bandeau Bikini//

//Chubbies The Kooks Only 6"//

Let me know if these goodies make your summer better and more importantly happy as a slice of watermelon on a sweaty, humid day.

Until soon friends.

Amazing athletes warm up. They stretch their muscles before getting on the court or field. They time sprints, shoot a bunch of hoops and crack more than a few bats to get their bodies ready for practice. Athletes know there is a process in making their agencies ready for any game. 

We don't realize how critical a warm-up is for us to leap. A warm-up is choosing to unleash capacity but not formalize an idea. A doodle is essential to create a masterpiece. An idea jotted down on the back of a napkin is the start of an industry-changing company. Showing compassion in front of a child is the catalyst for kindness. One sentence to stranger begins a lifetime friendship. A quick sketch begins the buds of a new project.

The warm up is important. It makes us great by easing us into something great and the potential of more.

How will you warm-up today? 

Until tomorrow friends.

The illusion of perfection can be overwhelming. We can dream of a designer house, kids that don't have tantrums, a fit and trim body, a flourishing bank account, a rocket ship career and my personal favorite, well-styled hair. Our minds get hooked on the idea that if we could get to perfection, then everything in our lives would be seamless. We wouldn't worry anymore about getting sick, being kind or living a meaningful life. We would be happy with perfection.

Right?

What if we embraced the messy today? Let the house be a disaster. Allow the kids to wail all they want. Slide into work and just be ok. Does letting things get messy bring a different if not, better state of happiness to our lives?

I'm going to try summer hair don't care today. How about you?

Until tomorrow friends.

Getting away from it all is hard. We imagine our lives would be very different if we didn't keep up. Right now, everything in life seems important enough that it requires constant monitoring. The barrage of social media updates and critical texts demand our focus. The communication channels sing their siren song that we are missing out on something important. We can't feel or don't let ourselves feel success unless we check-in to our lives. 

However, what happens if we check-out? What if we turn off, turn down and delay what only seems important? What happens when we pay attention to the physical and real life around us?

This last week, I went far away. I turned off my phone, didn't look in and didn't catch up on anything. I ate a lot of shaved ice and played with my kids. At the end of my life when I look back on that week, I would label it a success. It is funny how in this ever constant world of now, checking-out turned into something so satisfying.

Today, let's all grab some shaved ice and check-out for a while. 

Until tomorrow friends.

The world can seem simple around us. We tend to label things to make life easier. A cup is a cup. A tree is a tree. A cactus is a cactus. We can find ourselves dismissing the woven wonder of life. When we stop to look at an object that is around us, we can learn it's far more complicated than it seems. Take a cactus for example. We might say it's green, prickly and lives in the desert.

However, on closer on inspection, we would find a cactus is incredibly complicated. It varies in colors ranging from blue to green. The needles on the cactus create a texture that looks soft and fuzzy. It has repetition and balance. The shape isn't simple at all. It has bumps and grooves. It can live for up to two years without water in an every changing diverse ecosystem. 

It's amazing what we learn when we just look closely at the world around us and how it can help us find a creative story in the every day.

Until tomorrow Creative Observationalist.

The kitchen. It's full of ways to make us more creative. It provides limitless tools and ingredients to combine and subtract our way to a new experience. Food can change us in so many ways. Emotionally it can bring comfort. Mentally it can expand our thinking. Most importantly it can make a creative leap in ourselves and the world around us.

Today, let's expand our creativity by being in the kitchen. Let's make something new and taste how getting uncomfortable develops a creative part of us.

Yesterday, was National Strawberry Shortcake day. After some research, I found a decidedly delicious looking recipe for vegan gluten-free strawberry shortcake on the blog Minimalist Baker.  I haven't attempted to make strawberry shortcake or vegan pastries, ever. However, today, I put on my apron and headed to the kitchen. In the first 5 minutes, I had to put my creative thinking to the test when it turned out I didn't have all the ingredients needed to follow the recipe. There I was in the kitchen with the oven ablaze, rummaging through my pantry looking for something to substitute for one of the key ingredients. 

Well, it turned out that I used the wrong ingredient and my strawberry shortcake was less than terrific. However, using my creative thinking to solve my recipe dilemma only strengthened my problem-solving skills.

So, let's get cooking and creating.

Until tomorrow Creative Cooks.

Some people will tell us that certain people are born creative. These individuals came out of the womb instantly coming up with well defined and successful ideas from the very beginning of their lives. Picasso picked up a paint brush and whipped up "The Old Guitarist" in a flash. Richard Branson developed his first business, and it was an overnight success. Steve Martin hopped on stage and got people laughing on his first try. The Dali Lama just knew how to lead people right into a compassionate existence. Right?

Yeah. No.

When we meet someone who is infinitely creative and successful, there is a secret they hold. These creative leaders worked their tail feathers off every day. They doodled, refined, wrote, sketched, refined their work over and over and over again. 

When it didn't work, they tried again. 

And again.

They had doubts and they wanted to give up but they didn't. The most important thing they did was sit down and work out ideas.

The ideas will be bad. 

There will be failures.

But they did the work anyway.

One day they create something that changes the world around them, shifts perspectives and redefines something bigger. That's creativity at work.

An Illustration Sketch. Next Step Refine and Define!

This One Was Sketched, Refined and Defined 4 times. It still needs work.

Until tomorrow Creative Friends.