Well, I realized that with the busy schedules Cory and I have, and with the minimal winter daylight, it just isn’t possible right now to take the quality of photos that I would want.  So, that leaves me with a distant memory of high school notebooks full of sketches of faceless mannequins with fancy outfits, and this post.

Back in bible college, we had a casual dress code, but on Friday a group of us would dress to the nines just for fun – and thus, Fresh Friday was born.  I’m naming this series after those school days, and occasionally on Fridays you’ll see some doodles of my favorite outfits from the week, and some things I’ve been learning and I explore creativity and personal style.  Hope you enjoy!

Winter can be kind of grey (not to mention dark and cold – seems like there’s no sunlight left after work most days!) so I’ve been pumping some extra color into my wardrobe to keep things interesting:

Outfit 1: Worn to a party celebrating the return of my awesome friend (and pastor of Pulse!)

Outfit 2: Worn to work, on a particularly chilly and unexciting Tuesday.

Which is your favorite? Anyone else like to go bold with color in the bland winter months?

So what does Creativity mean to me? It’s thinking outside the box and living beyond the routine, it’s expressing myself in ways that feel genuine and “me,” and it’s making time for craft time – simply because I love it.

The idea is that with the foundation of Simplicity, I’ll have some empty space in my life – and though I won’t want to fill every second of it up again, I can begin to fill my time with things that I love – and that’s where Creativity comes in.  I really see these themes all wrapped up in each other.  Here are some of the simple ideas I’m implementing to cultivate a creative life:

EXPLORE:  Don’t settle for routine all the time – try new restaurants, run new trails, listen to new music, read new books – be willing to switch it up on occasion to keep life interesting and expose myself to fresh inspiration.

EXPRESS:  I am going to push myself this year to embrace my uniqueness, in whatever way that may be – experimenting in the kitchen without the help of a recipe, coming up with new ways to sing old songs, or combining the clothes in my closet in a different way – to figure out more and more what I like and who I am, and to live my life in a way that honors that.

CRAFT: Songwriting, painting, sketching, writing, photographing – whatever strikes my fancy – as long as I am exercising my right brain.  No holds barred – 2012 will be a year of creative explosion in my life!  Practice begets excellence, and I want to be excellent at what I do.

I’ve already seen a huge difference in my outlook as I’ve applied these themes to my life over the  first few weeks of the new year.  There is no doubt in my mind that God is a creative being (see some of my thoughts on the matter here, which I’m sure will be expounded upon) and that he put my creative heart in me for a reason – 2012 is all about letting it shine!

Next week, I’ll finish up this series with my final theme, Bravery – which will, out of the three,  most definitely be my biggest challenge this coming year.

Exodus 15:2 – The Lord is my strength and my song. (ESV)

The first time, we had a campsite out in the open (read: expansive views, windy windy windy windy).  For the second, we picked a more isolated spot with a little bit of a hike-in and some nice tree cover (read: not windy, more non-people related noises at night).

If we camp here again, we’ll probably go for one of the boat-in (or much longer hike) sites – though you have to be much more careful with animals/food/etc and probably travel a little lighter than we have on past trips.  They are SO beautiful though, hard to resist.

There are lots of trails to hike around the big lake (reservoir?) – I can imagine that in the summer this place fills up, but in early September, you have plenty of space to yourself.  We like to do a whole lot of nothing when we camp – hiking, reading, sitting by the fire, and of course, roasting marshmallows.

{Public Service Announcement for S’mores people: switch your chocolate bar for a peanut butter cup and it will rock. your. world. Pinkie swear.}

Last week, lifehacker posted about how getting out into nature makes you smarter (my paraphrase) – it didn’t surprise me, but it’s truly amazing how doing “nothing” for a while, whether it’s camping or hiking or just being outside, can refresh your drive for all the “somethings” you’ve got going on at home.

The article also said that even photos of nature have similar effects, helping people operate at their best.  So here you go, I just helped you rock. You’re welcome!

Have you noticed that escaping to the outdoors helps you be more creative/productive?

For me, Simplicity means taking some time to be still, to unplug for a little while and reconnect with reality, and to sift out unnecessaries in my life to make more time for the important stuff, and also the fun stuff!

I was really inspired by this post on Jess’s blog, and I had been thinking for the last few months of the year about the intentions and motivations behind my daily routine.  To cut to the chase without all the philosophizing, here are some changes I want to make to foster more simplicity in my life:

UNPLUG:  Less screen time, more face time.  No phone/computer/email/TV (etc) in the morning before work, or in the evening 30 minutes before bedtime.  I work at a computer, so I just spend way too much time in my day looking at a screen.

PURGE: Mentally and physically.  I want to spend more time running and doing yoga – things that energize me as well as help me clear my head and refocus.  I’m also taking Jess’s challenge to get rid of 100 things – I want to be surrounded by things I love, use and need.  No more clutter in my head or my house, please.

WAIT: Pray, dream, play piano, listen, journal – spend time doing the things that help me to slow down and be intentional and remember what’s important in my life.

I think my next two themes, Creativity and Bravery, are going to make 2012 one of the most exciting years yet – and I really do believe that having this foundation of Simplicity is going to make both of those easier to accomplish.  Because when I make time for a little empty space, it helps me shift my focus from the stresses of everyday life back to the One who has put big dreams in my heart, and has promised peace beyond understanding – even in the midst of life’s craziest adventures.

Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

Last weekend my husband and I headed up into the mountains on one of our favorite drives in the Colorado Springs area – you can make the round trip in an afternoon which makes it a great spontaneous getaway.

It has pluses for both Cory and I – he has hills where he can take his guns out and shoot, I have beautiful views of Pike’s Peak and lovely dirt roads to shoot with my camera.

There are also loads of campsites – we haven’t actually used them for camping, but we have had a picnic or two.  (no facilities or anything, these campsites are basically a permissible parking space from the looks of things)

Side note – I tried editing these in color – and it’s interesting that I really do enjoy a lot of color in my art and life (take this pinterest board or this one as an example) but for some reason, photography always hits me most in black and white.  Not sure why – but I mean c’mon, just take a look at an Ansel Adams piece or two, and you will be smitten too.  I’m sure it also helped that my first camera was an old Minolta, for a high school photography class where we developed our own film (you guessed it, black and white).

As far as the road conditions go, I have made the drive in my little Jetta before, but especially in the wintertime I’d recommend something with four wheel drive – they don’t maintain the roads so it can get icy.

If you’re driving up from Colorado Springs, the road begins in Garden of the Gods park, just before you get to Balanced Rock.  If you’re driving down from Woodland Park, look for the road right behind the McDonald’s.  Personally, I prefer driving down (WP to the Springs) but it’s pretty either way.  You definitely want to stop along the way for views like this:

With our busy schedules (full time jobs, full time school, family, volunteer work: many of you know the drill), escaping for long periods is a rare luxury.  But getting out of touch with reality for even a few hours is so worth the good things it does for your soul.  To quote one of my favorite movies lately (UP!):

“Adventure is out there!”

Your turn: what are some of your favorite escapes in your area?

(All images taken by me, Annabelle Mintz, copyright 2011/2012 – please don’t use without permission)

So even if you’re one of those people who makes plans and then abandons them at the slightest hint of warmer weather, take heart.

For me, the New Year isn’t so much a time to implement new laws that will govern me and tie me to a certain regimen; rather, it’s a time where I can reflect on the year that has past and dream bigger for the year that’s to come.  It’s a time to look at the habits and patterns I have created and perform some tweaking and maintenance for the future.  It’s like an oil change or an annual physical – to make sure everything is running smoothly and to take action before huge problems arise.  This is the stuff that’s going to last the whole year – and small steps eventually lead to big ones.

So, what tweaks am I making this year? Here is the basic plan:

SIMPLICITY: I need to take more “me-time” to keep stress and emotional exhaustion in check – this includes getting enough sleep, cutting back on electronic-time, and doing just-for-fun things.

CREATIVITY: I am happier and more fulfilled when I get this stuff out of my system, and I know it’s part of my calling to do so – journalling, painting, songwriting, photography – I’m sanctioning a no-pressure no-excuses creative explosion!

BRAVERY: I am ready to take some chances and dream a little bigger this year – and stop limiting myself with the fear of failure or rejection.  Big things are going to happen in 2012!

So there you have it – my theme for 2012.  I’ll be going into a little more detail over the course of January about what each of these values means to me, and how I’m looking to implement them in my life.

Did you make specific New Year’s resolutions? Or do you stick with a general theme/sentiment?

There are many things that I can take away from words I’ve heard Mr. Jobs speak over the years about his life and career.  That no failure, even a seemingly great and insurmountable one, is truly impossible to recover from.  That to live a creatively daring life is worthwhile.  That following your heart is important, and so is filling your work with passion.  That you may not understand everything when you’re going through it, but looking back – you can see the dots connecting to take you right to where you are.

Of all the things you could say about Steve Jobs, whether you like Apple or not, this must be said – and I hope can one day be said of me – he left the world a different place for being here.  He literally changed the way many people do life.  And that right there is creative genius if I’ve even seen it.

I hung this little reminder in my office today, and then photographed it with my iPhone to share with all of you.  I hope it is an appropriate tribute.

Take a walk as the sun goes down.

There is something about the evening air and the golden light just before sunset that is just perfect.  This is one of my favorite times, whether gardens are in bloom, leaves are changing, or snow crunches under our feet as my husband and I meander along.

Take time to dream a little.  Take time to notice the world around you – the sights and smells of the ever-changing seasons.  Take time to reconnect, away from the computer screen and with the ones you love most.

This stuff is tried and true – if nothing else sparks my inspiration, simply a quick walk in the evening time usually does the trick.

It’s finally official. After several weeks of waiting, the final papers have been signed and Husband has his freedom from the Army!

I had no concept of the sacrifices soldiers and their families make everyday until I fell in love with one, but I will never ever forget.  I am so thankful for those who continue to serve and for the families who continue to stand by them.  In my mind, it’s not about politics, but about people – people willing to work hard for something bigger than themselves, and even to die for it.  The sacrifice blows my mind. How so many die and so many are ungrateful or unaware.

My dearest soldiers, thank you.  We can never tell you enough.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Sketch in sharpie and colored pencil, with a little help from George Lundeen

Husband and I are ready for a new chapter of civilian life – a new adventure, full of its own challenges, to be sure.  I may no longer be an Army wife, but Husband will always be my soldier.  I am so proud of everything he does to serve God, serve his country, and serve his family.

Lucky duck, I am.

The rules to this challenge are simple: thirty items from your closet (including shoes!) for thirty days – no repeating outfits, and no shopping!  I have watched several other bloggers go through the 30×30, first started by the lovely Kendi and decided it was time for me to have a go.

So here are three key lessons I learned on this 30 day challenge:

The first lesson I learned from this challenge was one of THANKFULNESS.  I think we are, as creative people, always trying to figure out who we are or what our “style” is and we’re always comparing ourselves to others – at least, this is what I’m always doing! And it’s not a good habit to be in.  When we are thankful for what we DO have (whether that’s in our closet, or in our creative skill set) it’s easier to use those things in a way that creates a beautiful outcome.  And sometimes just TRYING something is a good place to start.  Because we can surprise ourselves with how beautiful what’s in our own hands really is.

The second major lesson I learned throughout this challenge is that sometimes LESS IS MORE.  It amazed me how easy it was to look at my closet and come up with a combination I never would have thought of when my scope was focused on only 30 items.  Think of all the beauty Pablo Picasso created with some simple blue paint.  Talk about doing a lot with a little!  Many times, we have right in front of us everything we need to “be creative” – but we find ourselves overwhelmed with SO many options that we end up doing the same old thing that we’ve always done, because we’re comfortable with how it works for us.  You know, like how we may have fifty cookbooks on the shelf but we only cook the same five recipes – because they’re easy.

Creativity isn’t always easy but it definitely doesn’t have to be complicated!

The third lesson I learned during the challenge is to BE OK WITH MAKING MISTAKES every once in a while.  When I look back on my challenge photos, there are definitely some moments of “what was I thinking?!”  But I’m also glad that the challenge forced me to get outside the box because I did find several new things that DID work for me.  Sometimes I get paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake, or doing something “wrong,” especially when it comes to any kind of creative expression.  What if I create something bad?  But fear can keep us from ever doing anything – and sometimes we just have to jump out there and give something a try.  Not worrying about being perfect.

I realized in this endeavor how much good a little challenge can do.  It gives you direction, focus and a goal – and even though it doesn’t always feel great, getting to the finish line is an awesome feeling, indeed.  This was just what I needed to get myself out of the rut I was in, and I realized that I was capable of a lot more creativity than I thought.  Plus, I learned all these great lessons! Ha.

So, if you find yourself in a creative rut, consider challenging yourself to switch it up – find someone to hold you accountable (me, if you like!), and get going! You’ll probably surprise yourself.