Category: Creativity

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My beloved

my beloved 2

Amanda and Charl my beloved

Leading up to our wedding, the 30 days prior to us saying I do, I posted a little status update on my Facebook page everyday.

I randomly came across these notes in my phone today.

Maybe your 30 day inspiration challenge for March Inspired needs to be to find something to encourage and love about your partner.

Charl and I celebrate 3 years of marriage really soon, with a 2 year old and a soon to be newbie Viviers it is easy to forget the little things that made you fall in love.

Do you need to write a 30 day list about your loved one?

A simple note of gratitude in a journal each day of March of why you fell in love with them?

Day 30- he is kind
Day 29- he’s got book case making skills
Day 28- he likes hanging with my family
Day 27- he speaks with randoms on the train
Day 26- he notices the poor and lonely
Day 25- he opens the door when I walk in a room
Day 24- he likes coconut chocolate
Day 23- he holds his mums arm whilst walking down the street
Day 22- he listens to my Granma’s tell stories
Day 21- he reads his bible
Day 20- he respects me and my values
Day 19- he wears his hat backwards somedays
Day 18- he lights up when his dad calls from overseas
Day 17- he writes his Oma letters
Day 16- he encourages me
Day 15- he looses things all the time
Day 14- he sits in cafes reading with me, even when he’s bored
Day 13- he washes the dishes at our friends house
Day 12- he calls his mates and asks how they are going
Day 11- he makes me feel like I’m the only girl in the room
Day 10- he was worth every minute of the wait
Day 9- he chats about the little things
Day 8- he tells me to move on
Day 7- he inspires me to live bigger
Day 6- he reminds me of my dreams and believes I can actually get there
Day 5- he asks my opinion
Day 4- he trusts my heart
Day 3- he made me believe in love again
Day 2- he waited patiently for me to be his wife
Day 1- he is today my husband, my friend, my lover & my match. Good things come to those who wait…today I become Amanda Viviers

Love notes to your beloved, could completely change your year, it could completely change your relationship, as you start to see through eyes of gratitude, than ones of expectation.

My beloved.

Amanda

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The beach photos above are by our amazing friend and photographer: Steve Fraser

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Holes

holes

I was listening to this song yesterday and it inspired me.

‘Holes’ by Passenger

The Chorus really touched me:

Where we’ve got holes in our hearts, yeah we’ve got holes in our lives
Where we’ve got holes, we’ve got holes but we carry on
Said we’ve got holes in our hearts, yeah we’ve got holes in our lives
Where we’ve got holes, we’ve got holes but we carry on 

I think we can easily explain our lack of motivation for change with the holes in our lives.

You know those areas, that we believe can never change. Those dark places, that we don’t show many people.

Rather than living a life despite those places of weakness. Taking little step by little step and allowing those closest to us to see our holey places, that they would turn to holy ones.

What are the holes, the stories, the places of lack that are stopping you from living inspired?

Turn those broken places into places of strength and inspiration.

Join me on my journey towards inspiration in March. Decide to do something for the month of March.

Yeah we have holes, but we carry on…

Speak tomorrow

Amps

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waiting

waiting

One of the greatest lessons in life and all things creative, is developing patience to wait for that which we are longing for.

Waiting is one of the hardest parts of our everyday human life.

Waiting for those dreams to arise, waiting for that partner to do life with, waiting for that perfect moment to capture the beauty that escapes as quickly as it arrives.

Waiting.

What are you waiting for?

Do you feel frustrated in the wait?

Are you allowing it to stretch and grow you?

I know these questions are so frustrating but when you find the answer to them, maybe part of the angst will subside or not.

Waiting is painful, it promotes growth and stretches our capacity to places that we never knew were possible.

I know the things that I have waited the longest for are the sweetest of victory and the greatest of pursuits.

It is worth waiting for that which is best.

The wait is worth it.

Whoever, you are who is questioning the wait, take it from me, it is worth it in the end.

I promise.

Love

Amanda

 

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march inspired

march inspired

March is an amazing month, to refocus and reset your goals. Everything is back to normal after the silly season of Christmas and the New Year. Life as you know it has a little more routine. There is no time like the present to commit to bringing change and inspiration to your days.

What would you like to commit to doing for 30 days, to bring inspiration, innovation and creativity into your year?

You could write, sew, paint or draw. Also you could make cards, pot plant, knit or exercise. Do you need to read more, bake for others or Cook through a recipe book? You could have coffee with 30 inspiring people, Pray, Meditate, Stretch or Walk… the options are endless.

I wrote recently about how I wrote my first book Capture 30 days , in 30 days.

It takes 30 days to form a new habit. 30 days of doing something is a powerful change tool.

At the beginning of 2014, I started drawing in my visual diary every day for the whole year. I have been posting them here and on social media it is called #inspire14 and some other creatives have joined me on the journey.

Also, March marks the month where the season of Lent begins. Lent is the 40 day period leading up to Easter. It begins on the 5th of March and ends on the 20th of April. Lent is an amazing time, to reflect and sacrifice and bring perspective on area’s of your life that you need to bring change to.

What I want to encourage my readers to do, is to commit to doing something inspiring every day for 30 days in March. (you could carry it on through lent if you wanted)

March inspired

I want to encourage you to first of all do a word brainstorm like this one I have done below.

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1) Say yes!

2) Print out this worksheet for  March Inspired  and answer the questions to prepare yourself for the 30 day journey.

3) Send me an email on amanda@amandaviviers.com for accountability and encouragement towards your 30 day journey. I will commit to skyping or online chatting with you at some point during the journey, if you would like that.

4) #inspire14 with your journey through facebook or instagram.

5) Start March 1st.

6) If you are in Perth I am speaking at a SPARC gathering at the cheeky sparrow on the 31st of March and we can celebrate together your accomplishment.

This year I have committed to publishing two e-books. 1) YESTEMBER– a 30day guided journey for singles  2) Curate- 30 days to cultivate creativity. (both of which are my very loose working titles.) So I need to commit, before baby number two arrives to write. So for the month of March I am writing each day for publication 1) Yestember.

I wholeheartedly believe, when you reflect on what you want to do and then you ask someone to hold you accountable to it, the likelihood of committing to it is so much higher.

Lets live inspired together.

Amanda

CS-JO

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Stop Fake

stop fake

I’ve just finished watching a mini documentary made by a fashion designer instructing the viewers how to make a fake one of his designer bags.

One of their favourite new designs is called ‘The most knocked off bag!’

Sarcasm rife, this is one creative’s pursuit of highlighting and bringing cultural change to the massive topic of all things ‘FAKE’.

Recently I have been thinking a lot about copyright and the power of an original. 

In our instagram pictures, in our writing, in our film making, in our friendships, in our purchases, are we valuing the power of original or are we playing into the culture of quick, fast, cheap?

In your conversations are you being truly uniquely yourself?

In your businesses are you living an open and authentic culture?

When people start to spend a little longer with you or your product will they spot a fake?

In the beginning it might be alluring, it might look pretty and sweet, but take a little time and a whole lot of intuition and the charade will start to crumble.

The leather will crack.

The handle will fall off.

And you will walk away feeling conflicted.

No matter the product; a raw, good quality, original will always leave the legacy it deserves when time, effort and money is applied.

This principle is not just for our handbags, (even though I do think we should stop buying the fake, market, rip offs, that likely have been made by child slaves in terrible workshops around the world), it is the same for our creativity and innovation.

If you are wanting to use something for your blog (I am speaking to myself here!) Find ways to create the picture, the quote, the innovation yourself, rather than making a second rate version of an original.

Take the time, the expense and the effort to do something original and the legacy of it’s value will be long lasting.

I am so over fake.

In every part of my life.

Speak tomorrow

Amanda

#inspire14 (I am drawing in my visual diary every day of 2014. It’s amazing, doing something creative everyday, even if it is not very good, inspires you towards a happier and more connected life. That’s why this little random drawing is here. If you would like to join me and do something creative everyday and hashtag #inspire14 I’d love you to join me.)

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