being creative Archives - CLEVERcreating

7 Creative Travel Journal Tips and Tricks for the Best Journey

July 26, 2024July 26, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

Whether you keep it simple or more complicated, making a creative travel journal during your trips is great fun.

My mother used to make scrapbooks when she was back from a holiday. It was in the pre-digital days, so she had to wait until the film rolls were developed. When time passes we might forget things.

Nowadays we are fortunate to have access to smartphones and small digital printers so we can work on a travel journal during the trip. It is one of my main creative travel journal tips: work on it every day.

Are Inspiration and Creativity Important for an Interesting Life?

June 21, 2024June 20, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

Although many people don’t consider themselves creative (which I don’t understand and even disagree with), inspiration and creativity are important to us.

Both the word inspiration and the word creativity are used in 2 ways. Physical versus mental.

Inspiration literally means inhalation on the one hand, expressiveness or divine force on the other. The latter is attributed by some to a higher power and by others called the flow or being in the zone.

Which Drawing and Painting Tools and Materials Can We Use?

February 2, 2024February 2, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

This article is mainly a summary of drawing and painting tools and materials, not a manual on how to use them. More explanation of how you can use those for your hobby is indicated in the links.

Techniques, materials, tools, and ways of using them are highly connected. However, I have made a distinction in order to be as complete as possible.

Drawing and painting are fantastic pastimes. Especially since you can do it alone and with your children or grandchildren. Also, in painting groups or creative clubs, you can motivate and inspire each other.

Making a Creative Travel Journal while Travelling Doubles the Fun

July 26, 2024October 9, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

My personal challenge of 2022/23 to make a collage (almost) daily sparks a lot of creativity and inspiration. The easiest way to work on a collage is at home where I have all my materials and tools, making it extra challenging when we go on a trip. How do I make a collage then?

Last year I solved that ‘problem’ by taking lots of pictures and either making a Canva collage or collecting small items and putting those together in an assemblage. The end result was a photo.

This time I planned to make collages in a creative travel journal, where I wanted to include more elements of a day.

12 Tips to Find Inspiration to Make Art when We Are Stuck

September 29, 2023September 29, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Usually, we find inspiration to make art when we are not looking for it. We are in the shower or preparing dinner and ideas pop into our heads. We walk through nature or in a city and are inspired by what we see or experience.

Then we are so in the flow that we do not need extra inspiration. At other times we have to consciously search for it because we want to create but just don’t know how and what. We’re stuck.

To get the inspiration process going, I’ll give you 12 tips in this article.

59 Interesting Ideas for Hobby Products to Sell

April 17, 2023April 17, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Where do we get ideas for hobby products to sell? I have written down 59 ideas here.

Partly these are products I have made or am still making myself. And of course, you can find loads of ideas on the internet. Great platforms for that are Pinterest and Instagram.

And a great way to develop ideas is to brainstorm. Writing this article I did that on my own, but brainstorming with 2 or more people produces a ton of ideas. Start writing down some keywords and from there go on and on. This is such a fun thing to do!

7 Ways to Shape our Ideas without a Computer to Inspire ourselves

April 10, 2023April 10, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

We do not always need a computer to create our ideas. Whether it is ideas for a design, a new product or a business plan. What opportunities are there to shape our ideas without a computer?

Of course, it’s marvellous if we have a computer with creative programs on it. After all, a computer is just a tool and above all, we should not attach too much importance to it.

Some people get crazy at the mere thought of living without a computer for some time or even a day. Yet we shouldn’t bring ourselves too dependent on technology, don’t you think? Although some of my tips do involve technology. 😉

8 Fun Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs for Ornaments or Egg Hunts

April 3, 2023April 3, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

The grandchildren are coming for Eastern and I am planning for an Easter egg hunt with them as well as a decoration with eggs. It’s fun to think of different ways to decorate Easter eggs.

A couple of years ago I made the decoration together with them. I had cut eggs from sturdy cardboard and they decorated them on both sides with felt-tip pens. Then we put a hole in it and hung them on 2 cross-linked branches to form a mobile.

They don’t like crafting themselves anymore, unfortunately, so I made the decorations myself and I used real eggs this time.

How to Get Started with Cyanotype to Create Splendid Blue Prints?

June 20, 2023March 23, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Some years ago a Dutch friend, Jenny van Diggelen, Blauwwerk, gave me a workshop on Cyanotype Printing. I wasn’t sold right away because I was in the middle of emigrating.

Once in order in my new house, I was again inspired by the blue colour and the possibilities of cyanotype.

It took some getting used to the Spanish sun and sometimes the sun really shines too bright to make nuanced tests. Which makes experimenting all the more interesting.