The very creative, brilliant, many-sided and lovely Valarie Budayr of Learn Sweden and A Place Like This has honoured me with a Kreativ Blogger Award.

Valarie writes about a range of topics including crafting, reading, cooking and her experience and passion for different cultures. Her family is international and one of Valarie’s many expressions for her Swedish heritage is her Swedish school where she runs online Swedish language and culture courses. Valarie also has a great love for nature, whatever you do, don’t miss her beautiful series Fox Diaries!

In return for the honour of receiving the Kreativ Blogger Award, I must pass on the love to seven other creative bloggers and then share seven things that you didn’t know about me. In the spirit of Valarie, I’ve selected inspiring blogs that span a wide range of topics, from culture, creativity and nature to living with several cultures and languages.

7 Creative Bloggers Who Have Been Inspiring Me Lately

• gardenmama – Nicole never fails to inspire and delight with her beautiful photography, creative projects and love for life.
• Turquoise Poppy – Love brought Tara from California to Turkey. The expat-induced identity crisis that followed, lead her onto an exciting path of self-discovery. Tara blogs about ways to “bloom where you’re planted” and examines the possibilities of a fluid identity.
• Gora! Gora! Gora! – Jason blogs about relocating from Sydney to India and accompanies his writings with splendid photography.
• artlovejoy – Wini’s blog is such a sunny, gorgeous and inspiring place to visit! I adore her taste and sense for colour.
• madebymegs – Megs writes poetically with great honesty, vulnerability and strength about the dark sides of her life, only to turn around to write about her appreciation of beauty or to tell a story with wit.
• ocasiocasa – the beautiful online home of Dale and Jeff. Poetic photography and stunning, eclectic crafts.
• williamboschdotcom – William modestly calls himself “an accidental photographer”,  check out his blog for a feast for the eyes!
• a house called nut – Michele is an American in Helsinki, Finland and she blogs beautifully about her adventures. From life in an eco-cottage in rural Finland to anticipating parenthood in the big city.

I’ll be back later with the other list.

Tags: blogging, celebration

Studio reflections in the window

Welcome to another peek into the studio. I’m having so much fun showing you my creative space that it’s going to be an ongoing feature, and so there’ll be lots more to come!

We all have little rituals and favourite thing that inspire us and keep us going. Here are three of the things that bring a lot of joy and inspiration to my working days. Fresh flowers, a simple note/sketchbook and this amazing birthday present, a one-of-a-kind BookBook hardback leather case for my MacBook Pro. And yes, there are still a few boxes and paint buckets in the corner behind my laptop!

What are some of your favourite things that put a smile on your face when you work?

Laptop and tulips

BookBook hardback leather case for MacBook Pro

Tags: accessories, Inspiration, studio

The ice on the lake has melted!

It’s so easy to feel energised and inspired when spring is here! The quality of light and the longer days. And the ice on the lake has melted! When it snowed at Easter, I was afraid that I’d have the same news update for the rest of the summer, Ice in May, Ice in June, Ice in July… But spring is here, the birds are singing and the days growing longer.

Here are some of the things that inspire me just now and that I’d much rather do than fiddle with my uncooperative printer. Especially after having spent the weekend setting up my new online shop.

• Participate in Lisa Sonora Beam’s free online workshop in five parts, for how to make Mini-Journals. Here is part one Mini-Journaling to Max Your Creativity: Day 1 of 5 and part two Mini-Journaling to Max Your Creativity: Fear Itself, Part 2 of 5 of the workshop.
• Work on my new painting. It’s got to do with honey and hot summer’s days.
• I’m still thinking about what Julia Cameron writes about “the virtue trap”. “For an artist, withdrawal is necessary . . . We strive to be good, to be nice, to be helpful, to be unselfish. We want to be generous, of service, of the world. But what we really want is to be left alone. When we can’t get others to leave us alone, we eventually abandon ourselves.” It’s week six of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron over at lovely and brilliant Suzy Greaves’ The Big Peace Blog. This week we’re recovering a sense of abundance.
• Go for a long walk along the lake and stop for café au lait and croissants at Petite France. Buy some fresh bread and apricot jam to bring home. Bring a sketchbook and doodle, sketch and write.

In fact, why not? Why not just pick something here and do it! Alright, I’m taking the day off to do something creative for myself.

Tags: courses, spring, The Artist's Way

Books about creativity

I love reading books about creativity, it’s so interesting to get a peek into other artist’s creative process, thoughts around creativity, techniques, workspace and inspiration. Here’s what’s on my bedside table just now.

4 Inspiring Books About Creativity

• Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings by Kelly Rae Roberts. Beautiful mixed-media techniques and projects as well as thought-provoking prompts and quotes to give your creative spirit wings.
• Living the Creative Life: Ideas and Inspiration from Working Artists by Ricë Freeman-Zachery. A true gem of a book based on interviews with 15 very interesting and different artists on topics like the muse, creative blocks, keeping a sketchbook and prioritising your art. The first two books on the list are recommendations from artist Dana Barbieri, whose blog Create Share Inspire is full of inspiration.
• Creative Time and Space: Making Room for Making Art by Ricë Freeman-Zachery. A priceless book that puts the idea of making time and space at the core of creativity. It’s not just about managing your time or setting up a studio space in a way that suits you, it’s about your mindset, mental space and soul space, and about making room in your life for your art. Illuminating!
• The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor by Gail McMeekin. An empowering guide to maximizing your creative energy.

And a Silver Bookmark

Sterling silver bookmarks by Amy Ambroult of Elemental

These books about doing what I love mean so much to me that I think they deserve a very special bookmark and I’ve settled for a bookmark made by talented metalsmith Amy Ambroult of Elemental, who makes beautiful jewelry and three sterling silver bookmarks that adorn your books like a jewel. Isn’t her work simply amazing!?

I think I’ll pick the heart! And to thank my readers for all your support, I’ll buy one bookmark for one of you. All you need to do is comment on this post and tell me which your favourite book is (it can be on any topic), and which of Amy’s bookmarks you’d like!

The last day to participate will be the same day that the icon contest closes, on Friday 19th of March.

Tags: books, contest, creative process, creativity, giveaway, Inspiration

iPhone photography: winter in the park

Tags: iPhoneography, snow, winter