So we’re all done taping. It was seriously fun and energizing…working with Wendy on camera and getting ready before hand. I love our collaborative process and the energy that comes from doing something brand new. Chartering new waters. It’s exhilarating.

Been spending a lot of time this week talking about scrapbooking organizing and inspiration. It’s fun to bring those thoughts—all the thoughts that were right there on the surface while we were writing the book—back to the surface again. When I do…I start to see inspiration everywhere. I’m sitting in Starbucks right now and they have the coolest artwork that just makes me want to scrapbook. Darling, layered watercolor artwork. It’s simply yummy.

It’s one of those weeks—doing something brand new—that refreshes me. And while I realize it’s impractical to suggest you go out and have video crew come to your home, I do want to share the value in doing something that is 1) new, 2) out of your comfort zone and 3) refreshes your sense of creativity. So here are some ideas for you. You could…

  • Try a new restaurant or try a new dish at a standby favorite restaurant. (I’m one of those people who gets into a total comfort zone…same restaurant and same dish every time we go out for months and months on end. So this would be a good bit of advice for me to make…if I hadn’t already stepped way out of my comfort zone this week.)
  • Pick up some scrapbook supplies that stretch you creatively…if you use bold colors, try something softer and muted. If you use solids, try some patterned paper.
  • Pick up a book that’s on a topic you normally don’t read. If you’re a fiction junkie, go for something non-fiction. (Or vice versa.)
  • Go on an inspiration scavenger hunt…look for cool  business cards, great packaging, brochures or junk mail, and then, go create something based on your finds.
  • Expand your creative outlets…if you normally scrapbook chronologically, make a theme based mini album. If you only scrapbook, pull out your supplies and try a home decor project or go to a paint-your-own-pottery store or a beading cafe.
  • Take a different route to somewhere you always go…and notice the new sights…the houses, the businesses, the trees.
  • Try a new fizzy beverage…I’m drinking an Izzy right now, sparkling Clementine, and the bright packaging and vibrant yellow drink are making me seriously happy. (It’s always the little things that make me truly happy.)

Take a little step out of your comfort zone (or a big one!) and see what creative energy surfaces for you. And when you do, please share. I can’t wait to hear what you do to recharge your creative spirit.