Category: Creativity

Posted on by — Leave a comment

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.

20140222-144832.jpg

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

Posted on by — Leave a comment

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.)

20140221-145149.jpg

Posted on by — Leave a comment

let it go…

let it go

A little while ago the most delightful children’s cartoon burst onto the silver screens. Touted as a new Christmas classic, I was excited about its arrival. Ever since it has been released, one of its songs has been on the charts and has stayed there. The song is called ‘Let it go.’

Recently I popped to a friends house for a quick cup of tea and her little girl, had her iPad to her ear, was dancing the living room and singing this song gallantly.

There is something about the words of this song, whether it be a little girl and her iPad or a big girl and her iPhone, the words ring true and encourage us to let go of that which holds us back.

Flicking the web a few days ago I found this version of the song and as princessy’ and girly as it is, it really inspired me.

 

http://youtu.be/N91cREpgd74

 

What are you not letting go of?

What is holding you constricted and contained?

Is it a conversation?

Is it a friendship gone bad?

Is it unforgiveness?

When we find ourselves stuck creatively, emotionally, friendship wise…There is often a very real reason.

Sometimes we just need to let it go.

We can’t fix it, we can’t change it, we just need to find a way to let go.

If you are struggling to let something go, I have found in the past if I do something visual it often helps me. For example if it is a person I need to forgive or let go of, that I write their name on a smooth rock, I pray a simple releasing prayer and throw the rock into the sea.

If it is a situation that I just can’t move on from, I write a letter to myself, the person, the organisation and then I burn it, tear it up, flush it down the toilet…I do something that symbolises letting it go.

Confession to a safe friend is also a great way to do this. You can tell them, that you need to let something go and you just need to tell them about it and then together ask forgiveness and let it go.

Somedays we just need to dance naked, shake off the things that hold us down and find a way to move forward.

Let it go.

Till tomorrow

Amanda

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Create like a child

20140219-161053.jpg

My little man max turns two in one weeks time and at the moment he is a learning sponge. Today as he walked up the stairs at the beach across the road from our little shack he counted the stairs from one to ten, all by himself. We hadn’t taught him specifically to count, aside from the 1, 2, 3; you are in trouble if you do that again march.

Today out of nowhere one to ten, he counted with pride.

One of his greatest loves at the moment is stars. He see’s them everywhere. We have a bowl full of shells in our lounge room and he pointed out to me today star, star, star… It took me a while to find what he was talking about and it was there hiding at the bottom of the bowl, a lonely little starfish.

Max see’s stars everywhere, so often I miss them.

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.

Pablo Picasso

To find new inspiration we need to stop looking at life through our adult cynical eyes and start to live through the eyes of a child.

If you are in a stuck place creatively, maybe sit down with a child and draw something together.

If you are feeling a little flat take time to sit on the floor and see things from a new perspective.

We are all artists, the problem is how to remain one whilst living in a very responsible, grown up world.

Speak tomorrow

Creatively yours

Amanda

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Create something

20140218-182447.jpg

I found this quote this morning and although I don’t believe everything this writer professes, I wholeheartedly believe that the arts does make our souls grow.

Each time I draw, even though I’m not amazing at it, I feel something inside me change.

Every time I try something creative that I have never done before, my heart feels lighter.

When was the last time you wrote a poem? School?

There is something about writing in a different style that brings out new perspective and innovation.

When was the last time you turned the music up in your lounge room and danced? Feel silly? Feel insecure? It could be the exact thing you need to break out of that funk you find yourself in.

Create something today

Love Amanda