Creative10 No.3 // What's the main thing?

Creative10 is a 10-week long personal challenge to enhance my creativity through a different medium. I chose painting because it's something I haven't tried before and it challenges me to open up creatively, and find new ways to express myself. It's also a form of creative therapy to help me get more in contact with my emotions and thoughts.

Already week 3 of this challenge, and I'm thinking it's my last watercolor painting. I actually did two painting today, but I thought I'd share the one that actually had a story behind it. The other one was just me playing around with colors. Which is also part of this challenge, but maybe not so interesting for you to see.

A friend reminded me of this quote yesterday, and I can't seem to get it out of my head. It's been spinning in my mind all day. The main thing really is to keep the main thing the main thing, because the main thing is the MAIN THING, right? I absolutely love this quote. I don't even remember how I stumbled on it, nor do I know who the author of it is (if anyone knows, tell me in the comments so I can give credit). 

Do you know what my main thing is right now? It's making this space work for me. And by this space I mean the blog, and shop. I love doing this! I can't even tell you how much I love waking up in the morning and doing creative work. Coming up with projects, figuring out how to make them, picking the materials, creating it, and sharing it here with you. I love it when you love a project, when you get inspired to make it yourself. When you get inspired to MAKE something, it doesn't even have to be the exact project. Let me tell you a secret. I've only ever done about 2 projects I saw on other blogs, but I still love reading them, because they inspire me to make my own stuff. And that's so valuable.  

I have about a million ideas that I'd like to turn into real things. I want to develop e-books and e-courses, give live workshops, make up-cycled clothing and continue blogging. I love it so much, but if I can't turn this into a profitable business, I need to find something that brings home the bacon, you know?

So, to honor my one little word for the year, I found some courage in me over the weekend, and enrolled to win a scholarship to Marie Forleo's B-School. So, I know this is a long shot, but it's the only way I'll be able to afford it. It would mean the world to me, if you could take a look at my entry, and tell me what you think.  

Let's chat more in the comments!

xo. Hanna

Creative10 // No.1 // Time to look up

Today's post is a bit different and marks the beginning of a new challenge - the Creative10. After 25 weekly quotes, I'm ready to try something new.

After reading your thoughts in the survey and a lot of reflection I realized one very important thing. More than anything, these weekly quote posts are a way to share my inner thoughts and feeling with you and connect through the good and sometimes rough times. Words mean only that which is behind them. Without the story, these words would mean just as little to me as they would to you - or rather, they would mean completely different things to us. But, through writing my personal story behind the words I've chosen, I'm bridging the gap between your world and my own, and we get to connect through our different, yet similar experiences.

I also realized another thing. Although I loved writing the posts themselves, I didn't love making the quote photos to go with them. I tried every Photoshop trick I could think of to share those words with you, but in the end, nothing felt right. I felt I was too confined in this medium and I didn't find creative joy in it.

Then, on my walk to the grocery store last week, I had an idea. If I graved change and more creativity, why not join those two into a new challenge for myself? Why not go out of my comfort zone and try something completely new? And in that moment, it clicked for me.

Over the next 10 weeks I'm going to make one piece of quote art each week. Each piece will be inspired by my reflections during that week and has a unique story behind it. The idea behind the Creative10 project is to exercise creativity through a new medium and get more in contact with myself in the process. And, hopefully, share my journey here on the blog.

Now, I would by no means call myself an artist, but I am a creative, and a maker. I've never been any good at drawing or painting, so this is more about the feelings I but into the piece than the aesthetics of it. In other words, this is art therapy.

Since 10 pieces of quote art is more than our walls can handle, I might sell a few of them here on the blog. I'm not yet sure about this, so we'll see how that pans out.

The story behind Creative10 #1

This week's quote art was inspired by an especially rough Friday last week. The kind of day that getting out of bed seemed mission impossible, and there was hardly any positive thoughts being generated by my brain. To be honest, I was feeling defeated and worthless. It seemed like I was going nowhere, being no-one, doing nothing - at least nothing of importance.

There was a breaking moment. I remember sobbing in my husband's arms and thinking "why am I doing this to myself?". Why is it that the only one not believing in me is ME. I realized that I was looking down on myself. I was making myself feel like I wasn't good enough, or worthy enough.

I think we all have this image in our heads. An image of a better me. Somewhere inside I know I can do more, be more... But that's the thing. I already AM more. I already do ENOUGH. I just have to start looking UP to myself and stop putting myself down. The only thing I need to change right now is my attitude towards myself.

This might seem like a really gloomy story, and that moment was truly hard. But, that moment was also valuable, because it gave me perspective. And I desperately needed perspective.

I looked back on my week and saw everything I had accomplished. I made things. I took care of my husband. I took care of our home. I worked hard on my little business. And that is plenty.

Thank you for letting me share!

xo. Hanna

5 Things I've learned // On goal setting

Remember the 30 days 30 goals challenge I began in October? Well, you might be wondering what happened to it. I know, I know, I was supposed to write the conclusion weeks ago, but alas, here we are, at the beginning of December.

Truth be told, I completed about half of my 30 goals. That would constitute a failed challenge, right? Well, so I thought at first, but the I started thinking. Whenever you learn something about yourself in the process of a challenge, it's always a win. So, here are 5 things I learned during the 30 days 30 goals challenge:

1) Long To-Do lists stress me out. The moment I compiled that list of 30 things I felt over-whelmed. I knew it was going to be hassle, and I already didn't want to do it. I hoped that the challenge would motivate me to work harder to cross things off, but no. Note to self: make to-do lists that are short and sweet, 10 items tops. Keep different category lists separately, because seeing them all together will freak you out.

2) Defining a manageable and well-defined goal is the key to success. One thing I noticed was that I crossed off most of the smaller, more manageable tasks that required a very specific action. Like, have shoes repaired, or take old clothes to H&M. Other tasks, like pack all kitchen items, or pack all clothing were left undone, because they depended on other circumstances I wasn't clear on at the moment, and were too blurry for me to take concrete action on.

3) When I don't need to do it, no list will make me. There were items on that list that I could've easily complete, but I still didn't because I was always out of time, and they just didn't seem that important. They were not things I needed to do, more things I thought I had to do.

4) I stink at time management. You see, I think I'm Wonderwoman. Yes, I believe I can accomplish a weeks worth of tasks in one day. And then I get all grumpy and self-accusing when it doesn't happen. All I have to say to myself is to just chill and give myself a break once in a while. Burning myself out is not going to help anyone.

5) It's all about setting goals that inspire. The list I compiled was full of things I dreaded. Packing all my things, sorting things out that needed sorting, getting all the work-stuff done before the move, cleaning, organizing and so on. Yuck! There was not one inspiring goal on that list. No make a blog business plan, or get nails done every week, or eat a healthy meal every day. Nothing that would motivate me to get going. It was all chores. I love goal setting, but I truly failed this time.

This challenge taught me a lot, so I guess it was still worth it. Did anyone else participate? If yes, how did yo do? Or, have you ever taken on a similar challenge?

I'm definitely going to do some challenges now and again. I'm not going to promise it'll be one each month, but we'll see what the new year has in store.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

xo. Hanna

New challenge // 30 days 30 goals

October's challenge stems purely from my need to get a lot of things done in a short amount of time. With the move to Germany, my increasing work-load, and aspirations in business and singing, I feel it's so important to take more time to organize and plan my daily hour-count, so that everything important is taken care of, but I'm still moving towards my bigger goals.

It's easy to get lost in the everyday hassle and lose sight of what you're really working towards, or just push those big plans further and further into the future. It happens to the best of us. Better time management is a constant learning process, for sure. I'm definitely not the expert here, but I'm working towards a more balanced and fulfilling life.

This months challenge is to make a list of 30 goals (big or small) and complete them within 30 days. Sounds daunting, for sure, but the accomplishment would be so rewarding. I have a million things I still need and want to get done before my move to Cologne in mid-November (that's soon!). So I'm setting myself a goal to complete 30 of those things before moving away.

As I'm going to spend 10 days at the end of October in Cologne where I can't complete these goals, my challenge will go on until the 9th of November. I'll share the result on the blog in the next "5 things I learned" post.

I'm posting my list of goals on Instagram tomorrow, so if you'd like to follow along on my journey, just follow me there. Or, if you'd love to join me and share your own journey, use the hashtag #30days30goals

So, what do you say? Are you in?

Let's get shit done! (pardon the language)

xo. Hanna

5 Things I learned // Phone photography challenge

Happy Sunday, guys! Today I'm starting a new tradition. Going through my 30-day phone photography challenge has sparked a yearning for more learning and growing. Which is why I decided to take on a new challenge every month. Of course, you're all welcome to join me. The participation and documentation is completely up to you. Whether you want to shout it out to the world, share it with your friends or go through it on your own is your choice. I will be documenting my journey here on the blog at the end of every month with a 5-things-I-learned post.

I will be announcing the next challenge tomorrow, but today I wanted to share the 5 things I learned from my phone photography challenge.

1. I'm not a phone person. So, I pretty much had a hunch this was the case, but I always thought it was more of a habit thing. Now I know that I'm officially totally not a phone person. Correction, I'm not a smart phone person. I love talking on the phone, and sending an occasional message, but that is pretty much how far my phone usage goes. I'm not the type of person to pull out their phone whenever I see something exciting happening. I don't play on my phone, I don't surf the internet (unless that's the only option I have), I rarely use any apps. Yes, I pretty much still live in the last decade. And, that's ok.

2. I love being in the moment. The main reason I don't pull out my phone, or DSLR for that matter, is that I don't want to ruin the moment. Yes, I wish I had more pictures of special moments, but I'd rather have less pictures and be whole-heartedly in the moment, than lose some of that being-in-the-moment feeling. I see more and more people digging their faces into their smart phones or Ipads when they should really be interacting with real people live face to face. And, I don't want to become that person. I actually missed about three days out of my 30, and those were the most eventful days of all. It doesn't cross my mind to pull out the phone when I'm having so much fun with the ones I love, or I'm having a really hectic day. It just feels unnatural. And, I didn't enjoy looking for "the moment". I'd rather let my days flow, and talk about the highlights with Rein at night than to look for those photo-worthy shots.

3. That being said, I did learn a few things about phone photography as well. Firstly, I learned to change the camera settings before taking the shot. It's tedious sometimes, but I found that it was really difficult to get a decent photo with my default settings. And, my phone camera is very sensitive to light, so even a small angle adjustment can over-expose or under-expose the shot. So the main things I adjusted constantly were exposure and contrast. Sometimes, I also adjusted saturation.

4. I learned once again that natural light truly is a photographers best friend. Whether it's a fancy DSLR or a standard phone camera, they both perform so much better during the day with lots of natural light. So, nothing new here, but a confirmation to what I already new in DSLR photography.

5. I love photographing things in my everyday life. So, for example, I had lots of pictures of my coffee cup. Those are the shots I'd love to capture more with my DSLR. The morning coffee, the sweet cinnamon buns from my favorite bakery, the mess I create in my studio. I'm making a mental note to capture these things more in the future. Also, I dislike taking selfies. Although I loved the self-portrait challenge last year, that was more about finding new angles and trying different settings. But, I don't like taking a selfie in my everyday life. I guess that's the other reason there are so many pictures of things rather than people.

So, those were my 5 things. What are some of the things you've learned recently? I'd love to know!

Last, but not least. I remember I promised a prize for one of those participating in the #adayinamoment challenge. As there were only a few of you taking part, the prize goes out to everyone. So, contact me at hannaATpearlsandscissorsDOTcom.

xo. Hanna

Moments lately

I'm half way through my 30-day phone photograpahy challenge, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite moments from the past 2 weeks.
(from left to right)
Mornings with my hubby
Thrifting
Sewing in my zone
Signs of autumn
Home, sweet home
Celebrating a life-altering day
Car rides with best friends
Sunsets and sundays

It's been a real challenge and a learning experience so far. I've been getting better at taking photos with my phone, but I still suck at remembering to take it out at those memory-worthy moments. And, I missed one day because my phone battery was dead.

Have you been taking part of the challenge? If so, how are you doing so far?

Thanks for stopping by! // xo Hanna

Announcing the 30-day #adayinamoment Challenge

I have a special announcement for you today! I'm so excited about this, I'm almost holding my breath! I'm starting a new 30-day phone-photography challenge called "A day in a moment", and you can all join in.

The idea for this challenge came to me when I was browsing on Instagram one day, and envying all the candid moments others seem to be so effortlessly capturing. For me, it’s so easy to fall into a routine and just let the days flow by. I hardly ever take pictures with my phone. I take a lot of photos with my DSLR for the blog, but I find myself missing a lot of moments because I don't have my camera with me.

The aim of the challenge is to capture more special everyday moments and improve my phone-photography skills. I think every day has moments that are worth remembering. Maybe it’s that kiss your husband gave you this morning, or the way your kid came and hugged you, or how pretty those flowers look on your window. These are things to remember. So, this is a challenge to find the extraordinary in an ordinary day. 

If you are also struggling with phone-photography, or feeling that you're not capturing the beautiful moments of everyday life, then join in on this challenge. To participate, just snap at least 1 photo every day of a memorable moment with your phone and share it on a social media outlet with the hashtag #adayinamoment. I'm sharing mine on IG, because I really want to use that outlet more than I am now, but you could also use Facebook, or Twitter, or Google+, whatever you like best. Of course, you can post more than one a day, but the idea is to snap a photo a day that captures your mood, an emotion, or a moment on that day that you'd like to remember.

I took the ABM self-portrait challenge last year (you can find those posts here), and it taught me so much about myself and really developed my photography skills, so I'm super excited to start this new (somewhat scary) challenge.

I hope you'll join me! At the end of 30 days I'll have a special prize for one of the participants.

So, who's in?
xo Hanna