Luckily science (and personal experience!) has shown that you can jump start your inspiration and become a more creative person over time.

Here’s how you can get started.

Rituals
When I wrote about creating a daily writing routine, I talked about choosing rituals that get you in a writing mindset. You can also use rituals to trigger your creativity. Do you find that you have your best ideas when you’re out for a walk or taking a shower? That’s because most of the time when our brain makes new connections, it happens subconsciously. So the next time you’re struggling with a challenge or need to come up with a new idea, spend a few minutes meditating on what it is you need to figure out and then do something else. Dance to your favourite song. Walk in a beautiful park. Go to an art gallery. Read something completely unrelated. Phone a friend. Play dress up. Draw a picture. Write a poem. Experiment and see what rituals are the best creativity triggers for you.

Routine
In fact, an anti-routine has been shown to be an important ingredient for inspiration. Changing your routine regularly stops your mind from going on autopilot. Providing new sensory inputs by trying new things or doing something in a different way, will trigger your mind to think more creatively. But there are some things that, when done regularly, will turn you into a prolific idea machine. Borrow a page from James Altucher and create a list of 10 new ideas everyday. Consume a wide variety of culture – not just stuff related to your field or things you easily understand. Read, watch, and look at diverse sources of material. And always carry a notebook to write your ideas down right away. Ideas are tricky things and they’ll vanish quickly if you don’t do something with them.

Real Talk
Inspiration happens when you do the work. When you sit down every day and put your hands on the keyboard, pick up the paintbrush, or practice your moves – whatever it is that you do. It’s natural that your ideas will be bad at first. Our brains are lazy and at first push they’re basically regurgitating memories. So we need to stick with it. Push through to the slightly better ideas and the even better ones after those to the completely genius strokes of inspiration that make our spines tingle with our excitement. It’s why we need to write, re-write, edit, and then re-write again. Saying that you’re not creative or don’t have any ideas is a cop out. Do the work and the ideas will come to you.

What do you when you’re feeling uninspired? I’d love to hear!

Love, watercolour roses, & cat eye sunglasses,

“This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don’t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favor in her sight. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.”

I really enjoyed sharing my tips for budding writers and I was glad to hear that many of you found them helpful.

It can feel daunting – this dream of becoming a writer. But like with anything, the trick is to just start and then keep at it.

If you want to be inspired, have better ideas, improve your writing, or “find” your voice, you need to write everyday.

It really is that simple.

There’s no magic formula or course you can take that will make you a writer. Of course reading a lot, learning the tricks of the trade, and getting critical feedback will push you further. But the simple act of writing day in and day out is how you’ll finish your projects. It’s what will make you a writer.

Creating a daily writing practice is what’s allowed me to amp up this blog, create my ecourse, and get back on track with finishing my ebook. If you’re setting out to create your own daily writing practice, here are my suggestions.

Choose a project.
Rather than facing a completely blank screen, set yourself a task. Participants in NaNoWriMo challenge themselves to write a novel in a month. Perhaps you want to do morning pages to get the creative juices flowing, write a magazine article each week, or try your hand at poetry. Knowing what you’ve set out to accomplish will help keep you motivated.

Carve out time.
For me, I’ve set aside 30 minutes each day to work on my ebook – which is in addition to all of the other writing I do. Depending on your project, you might want to set yourself a daily word or page count. But it’s essential to figure out where this time will fit into your day. Consistency is key.

Determine the where.
I’m happiest writing at my desk or curled up in my favourite café. Either way, a mug of tea is always close at hand. I’ve learned to write wherever I am, whether it’s typing away over my lunch break or stealing some time to work between finishing work and meeting up with friends because that’s what it takes. But as much as possible, I write where I feel most inspired. Xandra feels most like a writer in coffee shops and Rebecca wrote most of her book in the rose garden near her house. Where do you feel most writerly? And if the sidewalk cafes of Paris are calling you but you’re bound to the practicality of life amidst the 9-5, figure out how you can infuse a bit of Parisian chic into your writing routine – buy a croissant to nibble while you type or wear your favourite beret as you scribble.

Create a ritual.
Steven Pressfield recites a prayer from Odysseus before he sits down to write. When I’m at my desk, I smudge myself with sage and light a candle. These rituals bring a sense of intention to the writing practice. They note a beginning and mark the time as sacred. Your ritual might be as simple as disconnecting the WiFi to get rid of distractions, but I encourage you to find something that brings purpose to your practice.

I’d love to know: do you have any thoughts on starting a daily writing practice? What projects are you working on right now?

Love, clattering typewriters, & ink-stained fingers,

Splashing around in bubbles or soaking in the scents of gorgeous bath salts turn an ordinary bath into a calming indulgence that will also soothe aching muscles and moisturize tired skin. Unfortunately the good stuff usually comes with a hefty price tag, which is why I’ve taken to making my own. They’re a fraction of the price and you get to decide exactly how you want them to smell.

Custom bath salts couldn’t be easier to make and they also make a thoughtful gift. Here’s how I do it:

Ingredients
1 cup Dead Sea mineral salt*
1 cup Epsom Salts
1/2 cup Himalayan rock salt*
1/2 cup baking soda
10-15 drops of essential oils
1/4 tsp food colouring** – or to desired colour (optional)

Mix ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container. Pour 1/2 – 1 cup into a hot bath and give them a good swoosh to dissolve.

* You can replace either or both of these ingredients with ordinary rock salt for a less expensive alternative.
** Most supermarket food colourings have yucky ingredients like propelyne glycol, but shops like Whole Foods do have options that are completely natural.

The salts soothe tired muscles, reduce inflammation, and draw toxins out of the skin, while the baking soda softens the water and alleviates skin irritation. You can choose essential oils based on the mood you want to create or use them for their therapeutic properties. I buy almost all of mine online from Mystic Moments.  This batch was Rose Vanilla but next time I’m going to try bergamot, grapefruit, and ylang ylang – heavenly!

What do you think makes the perfect bath? Have you ever tried making your own bath salts?

Love, bubble baths, & pink champagne,

HuggleUp works through an app that you can download to your phone to order prints of your photos as polaroids, squares, or magnets. You can pull images directly from your phone or through Instagram. They’ve even incorporated their own HuggleBot technology and if you want, their algorithm will analyse your Facebook data to identify meaningful events in the lives of your closest friends and family and generate customised gift ideas for them. It’s an adorable concept that matches the company’s super cute branding.

The prints themselves are gorgeous; the colours are vivid and they come on really thick, semi-matte cardstock. I’m really impressed with the quality and have been having a lot of fun finding different ways to use my photos.

If you want to get more of your photos printed, but aren’t sure what to do with them, here are my favourite ideas:

Create a geometric pattern on a notebook. Or try photo polka dots.

Craft a personalised birthday card for a treasured friend.

String them onto ribbon to create quirky bunting to hang around your room.

Add colourful details with embroidery to make customised art that you can frame.

Make a simple photo wall clock.

Scrawl an encouraging quote across one and stick it to a bathroom mirror or leave it on a bus for someone to find.

Stick one inside a card and mail it to your BFF.

Create a mini scrapbook.

Write your favourite quote on the back and leave it between the pages of a library book.

Make photographic gratitude lists in your art journal.

Stick them around the frame of your mirror and smile everyday while you’re getting ready.

Decoupage onto wooden coasters and frame them with sequins.

Use them instead of name cards at your next dinner party.

Wallpaper the side of your dresser – or an entire wall!

Create an annual time capsule. We get so caught up on snapping our next photo, that we don’t always look back on all of the wonderful memories we’ve captured. Print out your favourite photos from the past year and put them in a box or create a mini album. Look back on it a year later and marvel at all of the exciting moments you had.

Scribble sweet nothings on the back and leave it under your lover’s pillow.

Save space for your favourite Instagram snaps in your travel journal & stick them in when you get back.

Place a photo of a funny memory next to your credit card so that you can’t help grinning whenever you open your wallet.

Send one to your mom (she’ll love it!)

Collect mismatched vintage frames and cover a wall with memories.

How often do you get photos printed? Do you have any fun ideas for making sure they don’t get stuck in the back of a drawer?

Love, googly eyes, & heart-shaped sunglasses.

Hello, lovely! I’m Indigo from Spikes and Stardust and today I wanted to share with you how I made my own modern glass vases — and you can too! As a working college student, I don’t have a ton of money to play with when it comes to furnishing where I live during the school year. That’s why I decided, instead of buying expensive modern vases for flowers, I would make my own. This project is super simple, and only takes an afternoon to complete.

What you’ll need:
glass bottles (I used one vodka bottle, one lemonade bottle, and one Italian soda bottle)
painter’s tape
spray paint
paper bag

First you’ll need to get the labels off your bottles, if you have any. The best way to do this is to fill your sink with warm water and soap and place your bottles inside. Let them soak for 1-3 hours to loosen the glue that keeps the labels attached to the glass. After a few hours, pull them out of the water and remove the labels. If you have any sticky residue left, use Goo Gone to remove it.

Next, tape the part of your bottles that you don’t want to be painted. For a modern look I decided to paint the bottom halves of each bottle, so I taped the heck out of the top to make sure no paint ended up where I didn’t want it.

Take your bottles outside, or somewhere you can spray paint safely. Cut your paper bag so it’s as large and flat as it can go and place it underneath where you want to paint.

Now comes the fun part! Shake your spray paint can and start painting. Make sure you hold the can a few inches away from the surface of your bottle and move in strokes to ensure you get an even coating.

Once all of your bottles are painted, it’s time to wait for them to dry. Mine were dry in just a couple of hours, but make sure you read the paint bottle to see the recommended drying times.

And now, in just an afternoon, you have beautiful new modern vases. I hope you enjoyed making them as much as I did, and that you love using them in your space!

Thanks, Indigo! I love how simple and beautiful these vases are. I can’t wait to make some of my town to hold my weekly flower market purchases.

Love, pink peonies, & sprinkle-covered cupcakes,

Paint an Accent Wall
A splash of colour does so much to brighten up a space and since you’re not painting the whole room, it won’t take long or break the bank. You could even take a look at this article on colour psychology for home decor and try to evoke the feelings you want to experience in that room. As an alternative, try pinning a large piece of fabric to cover the wall instead.

Get Creative with Twinkle Lights
They’re not just for Christmas anymore! Create a faux headboard by pinning them in a rectangle above your bed. Drape them above your desk. Line your window frame. There are so many ways to use a simple string of lights and add a magical glow to your room.

Put Your Wardrobe on Display
Hanging your favourite dresses across a large wall is an inexpensive (essentially free) way to fill the space. Plus it looks charming and means you’ll get to look at your most coveted pieces everyday, even if you don’t have enough chances to wear them.

Craft a Masterpiece
There are plenty of ways to create a fun piece of art that don’t require a lot of skill. Melt crayons on a canvas. Scrawl your favourite quote. Throw paint around. Browse Pinterest for ideas and I’m certain you’ll find something inspiring.

Show Off Your Collection
If you have a collection of quirky toys, vintage doilies, or old baseball cards that’s collecting dust in a drawer, find a way to incorporate them into your decor. Line shelves. Hang them on the wall. I keep my teacups and saucers on my dresser to hold my jewelry – that way I get to look at them everyday and my room is less cluttered.

Buy a Plant
A bit of greenery does so much to make a room feel more cheerful. I’ve started collecting succulents to line my windowsill. They’re only a couple of dollars each and they can even survive the gloomy London winter.

Fill it with Tea Lights
My space feels transformed when I sit in the dark with only the light of a dozen tiny candles. I line my windowsill and place a few on my desk and suddenly everything feels calmer, more magical.

Create a Collage Wall
I’ve dedicated the space above my desk to “awesome things.” Postcards I buy on holiday. Clippings from magazines and newspapers. Pretty bits of ephemera I find on my adventures. Cards sent to me by friends. No framing required! Of course you can also buy prints from Etsy to incorporate, but I’ve managed to create a great collage wall totally on the cheap.

Make New Curtains
Updating your curtains can instantly change the vibe of your room and they require nothing more than basic sewing skills that you can learn from a YouTube tutorial. I made some for my bedroom back home with discounted fabric that I bought for a few dollars and I’m working on a set right now sewn from vintage scarves.

Find a Bargain
If your sofa is looking to shabby to bear or your desk is actually falling apart and you need to splash out on a larger item, there are still plenty of ways to do it on a budget. You can rummage through yard sales and flea markets, look for something secondhand online, or see if you can snag a good deal through a coupon website like Frugaa.com. I’ve made a habit of doing a quick Google search for a promo code before making any online purchase. Many companies, like Home Decorators Collection and Wayfair, offer steep discounts that aren’t advertised on their page. A little savviness will pay off when it comes to buying these larger items.

I’ll be sure to share anymore tips and DIYs that I come up with as I try to make my space a little homier – as well as photos of what it actually looks like. But for now, it’s your turn: what are your favourite ways to update your home without spending a lot?

This post was sponsored by Frugaa.com, but the views expressed are completely my own.
Images via Paseoner, Cocoa and Hearts, and The Roof Over my Head.

Hello! I’m Steph from Glitter and Labradors. I’ve got a small blog about some of my recycled and repurposed crafting adventures and am very excited to share my favourite (ongoing) project with you: my FiloFax!

My FiloFax started last September. I was getting ready for a school placement in a Kindergarten classroom and knew that the agendas I found at the store wouldn’t work to hold the papers I’d need to be carrying everyday.

I started with a very simple A5 sized binder. They’re very inexpensive and come in a lot of colours. I got mine for $6 at my local office supply store. If you have a very hectic schedule or would rather have more space you could also reuse a full size binder you have already.

I added a name plate to the side (these can be found at office supply or craft stores), and the binder clip at the top. The cute bird on the clip is actually just a piece of decorative paper tape.

There are two zippered bags at the front of my FiloFax that hold business cards, appointments, paper clips, stamps and markers. My contact info on the left of the book was typed using “English Essay” font and then glued onto card-stock and my book with Mod Podge.

The elastic that holds my book shut came in a pack of two that I stitched together, but all fabric stores sell a variety of elastics that you could easily hand sew. I added a few different coloured scraps of fabric I had and hand sewed them together after pinching/twisting the bottom. If it doesn’t look the way you like the first time, just keep repositioning the fabric and running the needle and thread through until you like the way it looks.

To hold loose pages I made a pocket out of some card-stock by folding and glueing the edges with hot glue and then sealing with a thin coat of Mod Podge.

There are A LOT of printable filler pages for dates, but for this year I chose to buy a 2013 Day Runner refill kit. It had all of the monthly pages and tabs already built in and came with a handy bookmark that’s easy to pull in and out (I love Eric Carle and I work with children, so my FiloFax is a bit whimsical). I’ve also got lined and blank paper in there, in case I have a flash of inspiration.

For the printables, the very talented Jessica Swift has created some beautiful pages. You’ll be emailed the link when you join her mailing list, and you get a cute wallpaper!

I also added some photos. I find they can really bring a smile to my face after a long day. Anything I added into the book was also glued onto card stock and then reinforced with clear ring reinforcers. The idea behind that is eventually I’d like to take all of the photos and printable inserts out of the book and put them in a separate A5 book as a “scrapbook” of our year.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guest post and that you’ll have a chance to see some of my other projects over at Glitter and Labradors!

xo Steph

This one has been on my list for ages. I actually ordered the roses off Etsy in December (from this seller), but just got around to making it now. I was heavily inspired by the Crown & Glory Whole Lotta Rosie headbands and after looking at a few tutorials online, I went my own route with the supplies I already had on hand.

You’ll need: 20 gauge wire, 2-3 feet of ribbon, fake flowers & leaves, hot glue gun & glue, felt cut into small (~2cm) circles

1. Measure your head and cut a piece of wire a few centimetres larger. 2. Form your wire into a circle and twist the ends around the wire to keep it together. Add a little hot glue here for added security. 3. Put a small line of hot glue on the wire and stick the end of your ribbon to it. 4. Begin wrapping your ribbon around the wire, adding hot glue every once in a while to keep it in place. When you get all the way  around, glue ribbon down. 5. Cut roses off stems so that there is a flat surface. 6. One a a time, glue a rose onto your crown. Hold it in place until it dries and then glue one of the felt pieces over the wire so that it holds  your rose in place. Continue with the rest of your roses.

I didn’t take any process shots, so I hope my explanations are clear enough. It’s a really easy process, but please let me know if you have any questions.

The roses I used are quite large, so this is definitely a statement piece, but you could use the same method with whatever sized flowers you’d like.

Let me know if you give it a try. I’d love to see a picture!

Love & roses,

I found this tutorial for D.I.Y. chevron rings on Pinterest and knew I wanted to give it a try. I love the above-the-knuckle ring trend and these delicate pieces look so pretty all stacked together.

This project wasn’t a complete success. The wire I’d initially bought at Michael’s was too thick and I couldn’t get it to bend properly. I ended up using some cheap craft wire I bought from the dollar store for another project. The rings are pretty flimsy, so I’m guessing they won’t last long. I’ll be wearing them today though and making them gave me some practice with the technique. I’ll definitely be making some more once I get the right guage of wire.

I didn’t use a tutorial to make this necklace – I just designed it from a few supplies I already had on hand. There’s a peacock feather, a slice of agate, and a small leaf charm strung together on gold chain. I’m giving it to my friend Tea for her birthday, which is a few days after I leave.

I also made a batch of my poison-free deodorant. It’s SO much more effective than the natural brand I was using all summer. I shouldn’t have put off making it for so long. And I whipped together Meghan’s Edible Body Butter. It smells amazing and makes my skin so soft – I definitely recommend this recipe!

Have you worked on any fun projects this week? Do you plan to give any of these a try?

First was these crystal bullet casing necklaces. I’d seen them on Etsy, but never managed to justify the expense. I collected a few casings when we went to the gun range, with hopes that I could figure out how to make them myself. I found this tutorial on Tanya’s blog and a friend of mine brought his drill over to make the holes in the top. My crystal points weren’t drilled, so I created a small knot in the bottom of the wire before threading it through the hole and then I made the loop according to the tutorial. Then I just used my favourite superglue to attach the crystals inside of the casings. I made the necklaces a variety of lengths. I think they look really cool all layered together.

I’ve also been lusting after luxurious maxi skirts, but the ones I like best are always quite pricey. I was able to make these for less than $10 each using this tutorial (no pattern required). The only change I made was to take the hips in a little bit to give them a more fitted look on top. I used dark blue stretch velvet and a heavy hot pink jersey (both from Fabricland). I’m really happy with how they came out and I think they’d be easy to whip up, even if you’re an inexperienced sewer.

What about you: have you worked on any D.I.Y. projects this week? Do you want to give either of these tutorials a try?

Happy crafting!