Every month I have the pleasure of having wonderful and independent artists, shops, and blogs sponsor this little place. I'm starting a new feature, once a month, called 'A Word From Our Sponsors'. I'll be asking them a completely random question for you to know their souls a little bit more.
July's question:
What inspires your creativity?
Hope from Paper Relics:
For me, as crazy as it sounds, the more full my mind is the more inspired I am to create. If I have 5 projects I am working on, I have inspiration aplenty - well enough to go around. If I am focusing on just one thing - that is when inspirations does not show up.
Hope Wallace Karney is greeting card designer and freelance designer living in Maryland. She also creates e-courses for art journaling and can be found at her blog, Twitter, and Facebook.
Samantha from Indie & Chic:
New supplies and organizing my supplies always gets me inspired to create. A lot of times I won't be in the mood to make anything so I'll just straighten up and then BAM! I've lost 2 hrs and have 4-5 new products. Also since my supplies take 3 weeks or so to arrive it's almost like a surprise to get them, and I won't even remember what I ordered, haha. So that also gets me inspired to create. The only other thing that gets me in a creative mood would be custom orders. People think of things I would never have thought of on my own, and that is so inspiring... it's almost like a collaboration. :)
Samantha is a 22 year old college student from Alabama who spends her free time cooking up pretty accessories for her Indie & Chic Etsy shop. Samantha can also be found at her blog and Twitter.
Mollie from Wild Olive:
There are two parts to what gets me inspired to create. The first is when I go, "hmmm...I haven't created anything for a few days...I should do that!" What comes next is what really makes things happen: a blank page and a favorite pencil. In college when we had to draw ideas before hitting the computer, I hated it. Now, I see the value of simply doodling and jotting notes and getting ideas out on paper. This is where the good stuff comes from...
Mollie is a crafter, embroider, and blogger extraordinaire. Take a minute to check out her blog and Etsy shop.
Andrea from Knitty Bitties:
I think everything can inspire you IF you're looking for it. My world (and yours) is filled with color. Everyday we're bombarded with color and pattern, fonts and graphics ... usually it's sensory overload and my brain just shuts off all that 'noise.' But when I'm looking, when I'm feeling creative and wanting to create, I see things. It could be well designed signage, a sharply dressed person or even the way the dishes are stacked. The other day I was in the midst of one sewing project when I looked over and saw three spools of thread ... and there it was. A color palette that grabbed me. I stopped what I was doing and ordered up new fabric for a new line of camera strap slipcovers. It wasn't anything big, but I noticed and I did something with it before it was forgotten. So if you want to be inspired ... just LOOK.
Andrea is a mama, wife, and the force behind the successful Knitty Bitties Etsy shop. You can find Andrea at her blog and Twitter.
Rachel from Rachie's Place:
What inspires my creativity may be surprising to some. While I may consider myself a creative person, I sometimes have trouble feeling inspired. I do find though, that if I create the ideal environment, that creativity will follow...
So what inspires me? A clean home, content pets, a happy husband. Combined with a clean workspace, a good movie (or my favorite music), a glass of water, and my mac, I am set. Without any worries and nothing that needs my immediate attention, I am then able to begin my personal creative process!
Rachel Mason is an aspiring photographer, wife, blogger, and
doggie-mama. She has a beautiful vintage Etsy shop also named Rachie's Place. Don't
forget to check out her rockin' blog.
Mandie from Sindisiwe Photography:
People. I know that probably sounds really cliché coming from a wedding photographer. But it’s true. My business was started (and runs today) because I love people. I believe that photography has the potential to change our perspectives of ourselves, others, and the world around us. Photography makes us more aware of the world around us. It can bring healing, restoration, + peace. Once I started seeing the world through a lens, it changed how I saw everything, especially people. Whether it be through wedding photography or travel + humanitarian photojournalism, I love being able to share that with others. I love that through this art, I have the opportunity to help people tell their story.
Mandie is photographer headquartered out of Seattle, Washington. She is soon to move off to the other Washington, of the D.C. kind. Follow Mandie on Twitter or Facebook if you're in the Seattle area looking for an amazing photographer. Mandie's beautiful blog and website.
If you're interested in sponsoring I Just Might Explode for August or just want to inquire about the blog stats and rates, drop me an email at karahaupt(@)gmail.com
Thanks again to my amazing sponsors! :)
