I grew up in a creative household. My dad is an artist and my mom is really creative as well. My summers and weekends were spent making tiny dollhouses out of shoe boxes, little figurines out of clay and making paper mache projects. As I became a mom, I have found myself fostering the same environment in my house. I love helping the kids be creative, and I find that I too need that creative time. Having a creative outlet is essential for my mental health. It looks different in different seasons, but I do feel my best when I have something to pour a little creative energy into. We all have a need to create, whether it's using art supplies or garden seeds or building a website. Today I want to share a few ways that I stay inspired and creative as a mom and as a woman.
I'm always suprised by the things that inspire me or bring out new ideas in my creative work. Some of my biggest a-has are found when I'm out and about or doing something with my kids or on a weekend. I tend to get big ideas while I'm driving listening to a great playlist or taking a long shower after a busy day- a run or a long walk work as well. Taking time to do nothing allows my brain to start exploring. It's crazy how that works!
I love to get out all of the art supplies and do crafts or coloring with my kids. It's so fun to see what they bring to life- whether it's an invention out of cardboard or a super sweet drawing of an animal. Their art definitely inspires me and it's fun to join them in doodling, coloring a page from a coloring book or painting a blank canvas with no plan in mind. One year we all got new white Vans and spent time doodling on them with Sharpies and designing our own shoes. It was such a fun project!
I also love really tangible inspiration like magazines or books. Every year I treat myself to a few magazines subscriptions and just like I did as a teen, I'll spend a few hours pouring over them. I love to pull pages from them and use them for inspiration when it comes to colors, patterns and specific trends. It's one of my favorite treats!
As a designer, I really love to people watch. When I'm traveling or out and about around town I love to watch others. I get a lot of little hints or ideas about what is trending or what to wear by watching others. It's simple, but going somewhere new and watching people really gets me inspired.
And of course I couldn't talk about being creative and having an outlet without mentioning creating a product. Nickel & Suede is my most recent and most successful venture, but before N&S I made and sold many products. I designed and made baby neck ties, belts, watches, growth charts and more. Learning to photograph them, style them and sell them was such a creative exercise. I learned and grew in all kinds of ways. Not everyone wants to or will turn their creations into a business, but if you can it's really rewarding. Even selling your baked goods or selling a course on how to do something- it's all creative and the reward is really far reaching, from the journey of creating to the reward of making the sale.
There are so many ways to be creative- from business to coaching to gardening to fashion. I hope this post inspires you to take a little more time to connect with your creative side. It's such a great part of being alive!
XO,
Kilee
Check out our CREATIVE MOM Gift Guide for more ideas to gift mom and the women in your life who thrive on creativity and fun!
