iCreate

Sometimes I wonder if 'creativity' is more than just a gift that one is born with.  I was always told it was my gift, it was that certain thing that made me special and unique....and I do believe that.  But then sometimes when I've been up for two days straight, because I am on what I call "a creative bender"....well then I can't help but wonder if creativity is also an 'illness' or an 'addiction'.  Because when I am in that 'creative zone', I really can't stop.  I will forgo food and sleep just to finish whatever creative project I am engrossed in, almost as if the world is in immenent danger of collapse if it does not receive my finished art project.  And honestly....that's just a bit insane!   But 'creativity' can also be 'therapy'.  When I am feeling low, I often have a great need to lose myself in a creative project.  This submersion into the creative realm is my 'zen' place.
It acts as a means of 'catharsis'...and is very healing.

But then think about that for a minute....the 'gift' of creativity, morphs into a  curse of 'addiction' while also being the very same 'catharsis' that soothes the spirit so that it can overcome 'illness' and return to the place where its 'gifts' are fully functional.  Wow!  That's really mind bending!  But then again...that's just what creativity is supposed be right....Mind Bending!!  :o) And speaking of creativity....this is my latest project!  As a new iPhone owner and creative soul....I just could not bear to protect my new phone with a generic case that everyone else has.  So I did what any good creative person would do.....and set about designing one of my very own.  I used one of my favorite art pieces called 'Autumn Equinox', and pulled from it to create a customized phone case that showcased some of my favorite things....color, autumn, owls, changing leaves, the moon and the night sky!  I wasn't sure how the case would look in person...but when it arrived I was absolutely delighted at how great it turned out!  Here's to originality, creativity

and the impending return of Autumn! 

La Boheme Inspiration

I absolutely love a Colorful, Eclectic, Funky, Bohemeian Decor, and I try to infuse these ideals into my own work, lifestyle and home decorating.  But here's the thing....there are SO many things that spark my imagination and get my creative juices flowing, that I sometimes find myself completely overwhelmed by all the visual stimuli.  So I've found that one of the best ways to focus in on a project, design idea, or photo shoot, is to create a 'Vision Board'!  I LOVE VISION BOARDS!  Not only do I love creating my own vision boards, but I also love to view other people's visions boards as well.  I simply love to get inspired!

If you haven't created an Inspiration File or Vision Board before, no worries....they are really quite simple to do.  There are many ways to group ideas and images on a vision board.  And in all honesty, grouping really helps you to focus in on what you're hoping to create.  My favorite methods for grouping items on a vision board are by Color, Season, Holiday, Theme and Concept.  Lucky for us, with the advent of technology, we are now able to make digital versions of our Vision Boards.  There are even websites that you can join like Pinterest, We Heart It and others, that give you your little space on the web to 'virtually' pin photos from the internet right onto your own little 'virtual' bulletin board.  How cool is that?!  But you can also achieve the same thing in a video format as well, at sites like Photobucket and Slide.com.  And again, it's as easy as creating an account and loading up your files.  Plus, they give you lots of ways to personalize your slideshows and share them with others.
So today I want to post my own virtual Vision Board in a slide show format.  I've been collecting images of Bohemia over the last few years and keeping them in a file on my computer so that I could look back for ideas when decorating, designing, shooting or throwing parties.  So this vision board is titled "Bohemian Inspiration", because that is exactly what it provides for me....INSPIRATION!  It inspires me to live creatively and to follow my dreams.   All I have to do is sit down at my computer with a nice hot cup of coffee and let it play.  And by the time it's over, I am happily filled to the brim with a plethora of creative ideas and colorful dreams.  This post was made with you on my mind Celia...I hope you enjoy it!  And I also hope it inspires others to follow their bliss and live creatively! Namaste!