a cup of creative {volume one}

the lovely christine and jenna
i adore them both
and their amazing blogs 

have started a new series called, a cup of creative 
the first stop:
what was the spark that initiated your pursuit of this creative endeavor? 

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so today i am going to explore the five ways, things, and people who initiated my pursuit to live the most creative life possible – it’s what makes my soul most complete.
to be honest, i truly believe that it always been a part of who i am
so exploring where it has stemmed from took a lot of deep thinking and evaluation
here is what i came up with: 

there are many ways that i live a creative lifestyle:

a love for photos

teaching language arts {eighth grade}
a passion for home decor
diy projects
attending local art classes
helping to plan events
vintage clothing
blogging
life ♥ 

my creative influences
one: people
when i look back on my life, i see a constant passion for anything hands-on, creative, colorful, and beautiful. from a young age, our home was basically an art room. my mom and dad were both very hands-on with us and play was almost always going on in some fashion. tv was limited {mainly per my dad- but both- thank you so much!} and so we were always coloring, building, painting, creating, and thinking outside of the box. along with my parents, i had a sister just two years younger than me and i think that had a huge influence on my creative soul, too. together, we were always exploring and creating {we loved photography at a young age – along with sewing, ceramics, crocheting, constantly re-designing our bedroom, growing flowers in the backyard {both of my parents are really into outdoor landscape}… and the list goes on} another huge influence? i truly believe i had the most caring and creative teachers growing up … who sparked a love for learning; encouraging my creativeness to shine. as an educator, i hope i am able to be half as influential as many were to me. with this always in the back of my mind, i try to encourage the option for creative products for students {who have the love for creativity that i have always had} and the other teachers i work with joke about how we all give the same assignment and my kids come in with phenomenal {above and beyond} projects. and i freak out with excitement- every single time. ‘the sky is the limit,’ i always tell them. in addition, one of my best friends {since kindergarten} lori and i were always dreaming up creative projects all throughout elementary and junior high. whether it was on her farm or in town at my house, we were always coming up with ‘pinterest inspired’ projects {way before pinterest.} … somehow, spray paint was almost involved?! lastly, i had several young {high school aged} babysitters, who were so hands-on with us, a cousin who i watched often/loved to create art, and a mom of a family that i babysat for in a neighboring town that definitely inspired me to always have my hands in something. this mom doesn’t know it, but she sparked my love for cottages, antique stores, and farmer’s markets when i was in eighth grade- and the love continues. in the end, the people who have surrounded me have had the biggest impact on my love for being as creative as possible.
 
two: a dominating right brain
i took the test on facebook a few years ago- revealing that my brain is 89% right. making me a lover of color, imagination, visual representations, music, etc.
with about 11% ocd/neatness/organization mixed in- a strong 11%.

three: our childhood basement 
a.k.a – an absolute dreamland for my creative soul as a kid. our neighborhood was surrounded by girls until my little brother, alex, came along in the winter of 1992 and it was awesome. we were all so close and were always together … again, no shortage of exploration. we were constantly turning the entire basement into something new {often setting it up with our roller skates on and our boom box playing the cassette tapes we had just recorded… while patiently waiting for our favorite song to come on the radio and then quickly pressing ‘record/play’ at the same time
… a doctor’s office, animal hospital, library, a circus, hotel, shops, and most often- a school. {foreshadowing?!} but seriously- we were always always down there creating. and i loved it.

four: a deep passion for color 
my mom asked me when i was four- what color do you want your bedroom to be painted? i picked a colorful, bright, and fun pale yellow {with cabbage patch wallpaper- full of colors} and my love for colors was sparked and continues…along with my appreciation for the color wheel and the symbolism associated with various colors. for me, colors brings vibrancy, energy, and a whole lot of joy to life.

five: a good challenge 
i have always loved one. they motivate me … and when i have something on my radar, i will do anything possible to conquer it {in the best way i can.} again, i have been told that i have always been like this… and feel like it’s in my soul. i love projects and the little details mean a lot to; i have a love for beauty in the world and love to do whatever is possible to live the fullest life possible. ♥
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in addition,
a treat for you all today

sharing one of my favorite creatives with you today– sweet lauren of sincerely lo

go check out her stunningly beautiful blog and phenomenal photos!
she is such a kind and sweet soul
i have loved getting to know lauren more lately
i really think you will love her blog!
…
are you a creative?

…what inspired you most…
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ps: do you love this headboard above as much as i do?
i am hoping to either find a great deal of diy a restored wood headboard for our master bedroom
any advice?

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