Challenging myself...

I'm working on a big, new and exciting project right now that I can't tell you anything about yet. I have awesome products to work with and I can do with them whatever I want. Fun, fun, fun!!

But I have to admit... I'm struggling. I'm stuck! It's not that I don't have ideas, they just don't come out the way I want. I can't seem to find the right mood, the right starting point. I messed up a lot of beautiful products, been working on it a couple of days and really don't have anything done yet.

This afternoon I found myself sitting at my desk, staring at the mess without a clue what to do, i felt as if all my creativity was gone...

It was time to do something to get out of this situation, the deadline is approaching fast and I'm getting a bit nervous...

So I decided to do something not related to the project. To challenge myself to jump start my creativity (where did I hear that before :)) and challenge myself!

I told myself to create a layout within 1,5 hour (including the time for getting the materials together) and use at least 3 different paint/ink mediums. Now you might think 1,5 hour is enough but for me it really is a challenge. I hardly ever finish a layout in only 1,5 hour. It's hard for me to just go with the flow and see what happens. I think to much. About the products I want to use, the colors, the embellishments, what to put where, which pictures to use, how many, what size and so on...

So since i didn't want to waste any time digging out supplies I decided to use whatever was on my table. Now if you look at the picture below you get an idea of how my table looks and that there was plenty of stuff I could use, LOL!

The little empty space in the front is where I sat creating my layout :) I just grabbed a box with old letter stickers, some inks, acrylic paint, embossing powders, glimmer mist, masking tape and stencils and started working on a white piece of cardstock.

I used stencils, filling the shapes with versamark and embossing powders. Sprayed on top and added acrylic paint and distress inks using other stencils and punchenella. I messed up the bottom of my page, so i cut it smaller and added it to a black piece of cardstock using masking tape around the edges, love how that turned out!

Then I added the photo on top, made the title out of some very old left over letter stickers and found some embellishments lying around that fitted.

And there it was... a completed layout within 1,5 hour! And it felt good! :)

 

 

There's some really old 7Gypsies book binding tape on here :) So fun that it is finaly being used!

 

 

Love this shadow picture of Nat and me in Vienna, we had such a good time there!

Now what did challenging myself bring me? Well, I found out that there is still some creativity left in me, LOL! Did it help me with my project? I don't know, I haven't gone back working on it yet. But I'm sure about one thing. I will stop thinking, just go with the flow and it will be ok! Oh and another thing... I definitely will be using masks and masking tape in it! :)

So what do you do to jump start your creativity. I would love it if you leave a message telling me!

And talking about jump start... If you for some reason didn't sign up for Nat Kalbach's Creative Jump Start 2012 in January and missed out on all the awesome videos, come back tomorrow and I'll share my video with you. Maybe I can help you jump start your creativity a little :)

 

Comments

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000034718144]

chapeuax, het is je goed gelukt...
bij mij kan het vannalles zijn, wat mij in aktie doet schieten....
soms kijk ik naar filmpjes van donna downey inspirational wednsday of gewoon even een paar blogs aflopen...
voor de moment moet ik in aktie schieten in mijn keuken, lol
die wordt vanaf volgende week volledig vanaf nul terug opgebouwd....

[Hillie]

You did a really great job! I like the result!

[Shir Benovich]

Love the picture, love the layout!

[Riikka]

What an awesome layout! It's gorgeous!

[Nathalie Kalbach]

Ahhh- I love it!!! Awesome layout and ...I ditto the journaling- miss you girl!!!

[Dara Lynn Hale]

Loooove the outcome!!!! It's fresh and hip! For me, rainy days and organizing my scrap stash seem to stir the creative monster in me...there is something about taking older products and making them fresh and new...

[Marianne Johansson]

Gorgeous layout! Love the green pattern (mists, stencils and stars) and the masking tape. And the photo, so cool!
I normally spend a lot more that 1,5hour on my layouts so I'm impressed!
Oh yeah, I did follow the Jump Start and no - I don't regret doing so. It gave me so so so much! Thanks for your contribution to the jump start!

[Miriam]

I love how it came out! Also, I love how much space you have on your desk... Where did you get that table, and how exactly is it called? I'd love to have one so I can ink and paint with no worries about space or getting messy! I used to have a white drafting table and it would get all messy, plus the art supplies would roll all the time since I inclined the table... so I'd prefer something like yours, more stable. I'd really appreciate if you could help me here!

Keep up the good work! :)
-Miriam