Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake

I've been reading "Succulent Wild Woman: Dancing With Your Wonder-Full Self" by Sark.

It's a book all about being fabulous.

It's very optimistic.  It makes me want to run about outside butt-naked, with a cocktail, a big ole hat, and an attitude. 

Don't panic.  I won't.  It's a bit nippy out there this time of year.   

In the book Sark writes about a friend of hers, Michelle, who said:

"I eat cake for breakfast.  I know I'm going to want it all day anyway, so I just start with it."

I like that way of thinking.

My nana always used to say, "A little bit of what you fancy does you good."  Before she put a nip of whisky in her tea.

It can get a bit gloomy in January.  It can feel like Spring is never going to arrive.  So I recommend you find a copy of Sark's book "Succulent Wild Woman", and sit down to read it with a plate of cake.  Or have a little bit of what you fancy.

I'm going to... 

Source

It works for me every time.

Awards and Cocktails. Does It Get Any Better?

This past week has been a great blogging week for me.  I have been given not one but two blog awards in one week.

 

Wow.

I've always liked the idea of being a little ray of sunshine.  But sometimes I get in my own way, and can be a little ray of frustrated confusion.  So this first award means a lot.

 

Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen has passed on this award "to celebrate the positivity and creativity of our fellow bloggers".  Thank you Wanda Lee.  Your support is very much appreciated.  Wanda Lee is an artist who creates the most beautifully detailed work.  Her blog is lovely.

Having received this award, I get to choose 12 blogs that I feel celebrate positivity and creativity.

So here goes, in no particular order, my favourite sunshine-y blogs.  Just click on the blog name to visit:

Apple and Eve

A Diary of Lovely

Art by Sascalia

A Little Precious - Jewellery

Designer Jots

Entrepreneur Chick

Paris Rags

Seamstress of Avalon

Serendipity Handmade

Tresor Trouve

The Cart Before The Horse

The Hermitage

The next blog award I have been given is:

I found Entrepreneur Chick and her blog last week.  And am very glad I did.  

Entrepreneur Chick writes a funny, fiesty, fizzy blog around her experiences as a business entrepreneur.  I laughed, grinned, giggled and snorted hot tea as I read my way through her blog.  Not only is she very witty,  but Entrepreneur Chick also gives sound business advice and looks totally fabulous in an LBD.  Wow.  You can find her blog here.

Entrepreneur Chick has passed on the "I Give Good Blog Award" to me.   

I am very flattered by the review she has given my blog. 

"Mimi and Tilly whose tag line is, "The Art of Living a Glittery Life". Oh. My. Goodness. Just say "glitter" to me and I get all fuzzy and excited. But glitter aside, this blog is far more than that...  The embrace of the creative is what attracted me to this blog...  Wow."

Even though it's only lunchtime, and I usually enjoy a nice pot of tea around now, I get to mix up a cocktail, chillax, and have a wee dram, as I choose four other blogs to pass the award on to.  Hic.

My cocktail of choice is the Long Island Ice Tea.  Obviously.  But, as I don't have all the ingredients to mix one of those, I'm pouring myself a cheeky Tia Maria.

So, as I kick back, here, in no particular order, are my nominations for the "I Give Good Blog" Award, originally from letshaveacocktail.com.  These are the four blogs I visit most regularly because they make me smile:

Pupa Art :  Zlatica spends her time creating beautiful paintings of special moments in life.  Her work is sensitive, creative and makes me smile.  Each time I read her blog, I feel good about the world and the people in it.  You can't say better than that.

Lizzyloolaa's Land of Loveliness:  Lizzyloolaa has moved 250 miles to fulfill a dream of starting her own B&B smallholding complete with alpacas.  Completely fabulous.  Follow her blog as she follows her heart.  It's fantastic.

God's Favorite Shoes:  Reiko writes a fantastically sassy, energetic and witty blog.  It is all about style and I love it.

Favourite Vintage Finds:  C at Favourite Vintage Finds shares her love of all things vintage.  Her blog is beautiful.  Take a look.  You'll be glad you did.

So, thank you for my blog awards.  I feel genuinely touched by your support.

Thoughts on Creativity

We're going into slightly dangerous territory here.  I've been spending time thinking about Creativity.  And running with those thoughts.  I'm the kind of someone who can run with thoughts a lot.  Generally the outcome is positive.  Clearer ideas.  Resolved problems.  The odd chewed lip.  Sometimes it can go awry.  The poetry I've written.

But seeing as how this blog is about my creative adventures, and my creative adventures seem to be prompting me to think about Creativity, I'm going with it.

In my last post I wrote about how I really love the way creative people think.  Their willingness to explore new possibilities and say "Yes!" to the unknown.  And one of the people who comes by to read my blog wrote a comment that left me thinking. 

Again, being the kind of gal to have a thought and run with it...  I've been chewing this one over for a couple of days... 

Just to let you know, I found Kim's blog fairly early on in my blogging journey.  He writes Ramblings Of The Bearded One, a thought-provoking, honest and funny blog.  Kim comes across as a thoroughly decent bloke.

Kim commented after my last post, that "The difference between creatives and non-creatives I think is down to fear.  Before we embark we all feel fear of failure and fear of ridicule.  The difference is the creatives don't let the fear stop them."

And I have to agree.

To a degree.

I agree totally that fear often dictates how far we explore different avenues.  I know personally that there have been times in my life that have seen me forced to change my big girl pants.  I believe that people who are committed to exploring their creativity will feel fear and take action anyway. 

But I don't differentiate between creatives and non-creatives. 

I think as human beings we are all inherently creative.  I think we all create each and every day.  New thoughts, new clothes combinations, new meals, new plans, new conversations, new relationships, new perceptions.    Continuously.  And that we're often completely unaware of how fantastically creative we are each day.

I think creativity is on a spectrum.

Go with me on this one.  I'm nearly there.

At one end you have people being innately creative, and not being completely aware of how brilliantly creative they are.  At the other end you have people consciously exploring where their creativity takes them.  Saying "Boo" to fear all the while.

I think it's when we become aware of our creativity that we start to feel fear.  When we consciously start to think about what we're doing creatively.   Then we judge ourselves, our creative thoughts, ideas and actions, and see them as lacking in some way.  We stop the natural "flow" of our innate creativity by trying to predict the outcome of what we're doing.  We don't tend to trust ourselves or our abilities when we're stepping out onto what we perceive as new ground.  

Which is a shame.  Because it's at this point, when we step into the unknown, with our natural creativity, that magic can start to happen a little bit. I think.

I told you.  I took a hold of that comment from Kim for a couple of days and ran with it...

So...

Kim recently recorded this piece he had written. 

It's specifically for you.  Listen to it.  It's true.

WARNING:   You may need a noo-noo and a pillow while listening to this recording.  Kim has fairly soothing tones, and should, (immediately, if not sooner), be employed to read stories on Radio 4 after 10pm.  There would be far less insomnia in Britain if he did.  (Not because he's dull as dust but because even grown ups need a good story read to them at bedtime.  Oh, you know what I mean.)    

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Brand New State of Mind

I'm changing.

When I started this creative experiment back in August 2009 I had no idea what would happen.  It was an idea that came to me in the middle of the night.  And being the kind of gal who sometimes just likes to shake things up, I ploughed on in. 


I baked cupcakes, and shortcakes. 
I soldered silver. 
I rearranged my home. 
I went looking for other creative people to see what they were up to. 
I taught myself how to knit without making big holes unintentionally.
I bought a camera and started to see what life looked like through a lense. 
I painted, I sketched.
I started making tea in the pot. 
I dyed my hair. 
I cracked out the reddest lipstick I could lay my hands on. 
I wore big ole bows in my hair.


For the past five months I have been playing with how I live life.  And it has been fun. 


At some point during the early Autumn, my life started to change.  On the outside. 


And then something odd started to happen.  I started to change on the inside.


My way of viewing the world has started to change.


My way of viewing myself has started to change even more.


I've decided; I like the way creative people think.  It's about possibilities.  Learning to be fluid.   And saying "Yes!" to exploring the unknown.  This, to me, seems a very optimistic and brave way to live life. 


It also feels playful and exciting.


I remember as a child exploring my ideas, getting lost in my imagination.


I experienced the same feelings again while living in Tokyo.

Picture courtesy of milkcratenyc.com

Picture courtesy of Altus at flickr.com

During the first few months in the Japanese metropolis I couldn't understand the language, read labels on products, or the destination on buses.  I got lost a lot.  And discovered curry flavoured noodles by mistake.  And ended up with a very different hairdo than the one I'd hoped for due to the description getting lost in translation.  Everything I ordered on a menu was a total surprise.


Each day I found myself exploring a whole new Japanese world, with new ideas and new ways of doing things.


I wasn't afraid.  Living with so many new experiences made each day fresh and exhilarating.


Jay Z and Alicia Keyes sing about it in their song "Empire State of Mind".  Click here to listen.  It's fab.

Or watch and listen here...



I spent time in New York during my travels.  I loved it.

Picture courtesy of watersecretsblog.com

Alicia Keyes tells us that "These streets will make you feel brand new, these lights will inspire you".

I felt brand new in Tokyo.

Being creative is starting to make me feel a little bit brand new again.  Excited about life.  A little bit expectant about what each day will bring.  I'm having fun. 

Being creative is proving to be very good for the soul.

Here's To A Great 2010

It's been snowing again.

I put my welly boots on yesterday and ventured out into the snow to take some pictures.  It hasn't snowed this heavily in the UK since 1981.  I needed some pictures to record the event for posterity.

I wanted to share this with you.

The woods near my house.

After walking in the hushed quiet of the woods with only the crunching of my welly boots to be heard, I went back home to take a look around my garden.  

And this is what I found.

A tiny pink rose in the middle of Winter.

Natural Creativity.

Beautiful.

P.S.  I have some pictures of things I made as gifts for Christmas that I'd like to post here.  I'll be doing that very soon.  In the meantime, I'm excited about what 2010 will bring and look forward to sharing more of my creative adventures with you here.  Wishing you all good things in 2010.