Spoonful of Imagination

Add it to a Family for Something Beautiful

Fireside Chat #1: Encouraging Creativity in a Family with Matt and Erica

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Creativity can be tricky in a family. As we talked about family values in a previous post, this conversation got Matt and I thinking more about the ways we prioritize creativity in our family. Join us for our first fireside chat, where Matt and I have a conversation about this and so much more. This is a new series we will be rolling out on Facebook, sharing on our YouTube and circling back here with more pictures. We hope you like it as we are excited to have this natural, connection to encourage you to imagine the possibilities with us!

What is a fireside chat?

Our heart with creating the Fireside Chat series is to be encouraging and open in how we view and do life. Let’s talk real and honest about life and the journey it is.

If you missed the first chat, you can re-watch the video here. We cover a lot of topics like the ones below. Feel free to jump to the topic minutes that most apply to you, if you don’t have time for the whole 25 minute show.

Topics:

  • The Spoonful of Imagination (2:13): How the brand began
  • Imagine the Possibilities (4:04): Going off path, opens up options
  • Reagan’s Room (7:15): She made her room bigger by taking away her closet
  • Learning new skills through risks (13:00): Lessons she has for life
  • The cost of creating (17:00): Learn that your ideas matter
  • How can you take a chance (18:00): Try something new
  • Create More Connection (19:45): Erica’s new course
  • Matt’s view on Erica’s course (20:14): Matt’s endorsement of the course


Favorite Quotes:

“This is our home. We get to live here. So, we need to do things that we get to enjoy.” -Erica

“Paint is one of the cheapest ways to change the atmosphere in a room.” -Erica

“She’s the healthiest I have ever seen her” -Matt (talking about Erica)

“It’s a life skill to try something, it not work out, and be able to adapt and keep going.” -Erica

Takeaway to Apply:

How can you (in your life and/or parenting) take a little risk, take a chance, and imagine the possibilities of something different and grow from it?

We are cheering you on and know that the world needs what you got. If you loved this Fireside Chat, check out my second Fireside Chat with my creative accountability partners, Jonna and Shannon. It’s all about the power in linking arms-even when on separate journeys.

Spoonful of Imagination Freebies

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Hi Friends! 

Erica from Spoonful of Imagination here. Do you ever find yourself feeling stuck in the creative process because “finding the time to start AND finish” can be tricky!? Kids have no problem creating, and we can re-learn a lot from their playful spirits. Being young at heart is a lifestyle that we have to practice.

Thank you for finding my little part of this great, big world. It is my goal to encourage YOUR creative process. You can imagine the possibilities and create the life you want, while connecting to others. Let’s have some fun. Please browse these freebies. Try one, try them all! I hope they can jump start your own creative endeavors. If you love it, it would mean the world if you shared this page with others.

It will ask for your email to get the download. Please know, that I don’t ever do anything with those, other than send you my weekly letter on Tuesdays. It’s full of tips, inspiration and pictures to my creative lifestyle, so you’ll want that anyway. Now, let’s get creating!!

Imagine the possibilities, 
Erica

Let's Get Imagining.

What is it: 

Vision Board Workshop: This video lesson walks you through what is a vision board, why they matter, and how to get started on creating your own.

Watch it now!

What is it:

Collaborative Art Game: Erica is showing you how to create and play one of our most popular art games in this video lesson. It encourages teamwork, play, and FUN!

Watch it now!

What is it:

The Best ‘All About Me’ Form:

Maybe you filled out a get to know you form in elementary school. Do you know what you listed as your dream job? Most ‘About Me’ forms I see these days ask kids what they want to be when they grow up.

What if they grow up and get that job, and they are miserable? There’s better, exploratory questions to ask.

That’s why I created a new kind of form that is all about encouraging kids to see this as a journey in learning about themselves and an exploration of things they care about.

Download it now!

What is it:

Quick Checklist of Ideas:

This list is a quick imagination starter. Imagining the possibilities is part of the creative process. It’s a skill you learn and practice. These quick, little exercises open up a new loop in our brain and can set us up to have a more playful, imaginative day.

Download it now!

What is it:

Free craft tutorial for kids:

In this lesson, Erica walks your artists through how to create their own paper lion. It’s fun, interactive, and encourages options!

Watch it now!

What is it:

Free plan to throw the best art parties: I’ve been throwing professional Art Parties for over 15 years. Today, I want to give you my checklist and roadmap on how to do it! You can create a FUN day, and I can help prevent the stress.

Download it now!

Thanks for letting us help you imagine the possibilities.

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Wood Slice Valentine Art

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Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. What a great opportunity to either make a little handmade gift (or purchase a little handmade gift) to show someone you love that you care! In this post, I am going to show you how I made some wood slice valentine art, and you can do the same!

I first started with some wood slices I have been drying out in my garage, since the fall. If you saw my big 4-0 birthday celebration, you know what these slices are from!

I love buying samples of my paint colors before I paint a new wall in our house.

It allows me to test the paint, stare at it in all kinds of lighting, and then I reuse that paint on other projects. I used a dark, charcoal gray to be the base coat for these wood slices.

Once the base gray color was dry, I went back and painted a soft pink heart in the middle of each one.

The wood slices were still a little textured so I had to be careful to get my smooth lines. I used a small brush and some craft acrylic paint.

I Made a Lot of Valentine Art Signs

I was in assembly line mode making signs. The reason I created a lot was so I could list them in my shop. Although the signs are really fun Valentines’ gifts or art, they are also a powerful reminder to leave up year round!

If you have one scrap piece of wood, you could do this craft idea too. You can also purchase wood slices at most craft stores.

Painting the hearts was my favorite step, but waiting for them to dry was my least favorite step. I was so excited to stylize them up and get some product shots.

There are so many fun color options you could do with this same idea and simple steps. I think a neon version would be so fun too!

It doesn’t have to be a big expensive gift to say “i love you”. I recently sent my mom a little gift, but she said what meant the most were the words in her card. Think of how you could pair a simple gift like this with a card. That’s a gift with meaning that is sure to be the highlight of your receiver’s day!

If you want one of my hearts, you can pick it up in the shop today!

If you need some encouragement in your journey today, I am here to say…you have a strong heart.

No matter what we go through, there is always hope, ability for change, and endless possibilities. We just have to keep going. Small steps are still steps and movement forward. This heart is a reminder that the world needs what you got.

**If you need more encouragement, I’d love to invite you into my new course, Create More Connection.

What is an easy YES for you??

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Over the weekend, we were headed out on a little family walk.

Taking family walks is one of my favorite things to do together.

It’s a time to unplug, enjoy nature, get a little exercise, and connect. As we were headed out, I turned around and saw Caleb had a camera. He wanted to take pictures of this winter walk. I smiled to myself and only said, “very fun!”

What are things that are an easy yes for you? When you think through a situation or a plan and there is an obvious alteration to it, what is an easy yes?

In my situation, getting off technology, a screen, and devices is part of my heart for these walks. Yet, Caleb had a camera and I allowed it.

One of my family values

As we walked and I thought through why I allowed the camera, it hit me. An easy yes for me is creativity. I will always welcome the creative process.

For example, we can be pulling out of the driveway, running late for something and Reagan asks to run back inside for markers and a notebook….and I stop the car and allow it.

I can have just vacuumed the house and be ok with Reagan pulling out cardboard boxes, hot glue and making all kinds of little shavings on the floor in her creative project.

Jeremiah might ask for chalk markers to use on his chalkboard wall, instead of the messiness of regular chalk, and I add it to my shopping list.

I can have a sewing project out and someone wants to paint and I clear off my whole desk or table to get them started.

Caleb may want to take a camera on a walk to make this reel and in the process give me all these pictures that I have turned into this post, and I am so proud.

The creative process is something I value and always say yes to.

What is an easy yes for you?

Has something come to mind that is an easy yes for you? Here are a few ideas of things that it could be…

  • heart level talks: will you stay up later, if your kids are wanting to talk?
  • healthy food: will you say yes to a snack at any time in the day if it is something healthy?
  • sports: will you sign your kid up for a travel sport and be ok driving and giving weekend time, if it’s keeps your kid doing a sport he/she loves?

When we normally think of family values, honesty, perseverance, responsibility, character, and kindness might be some that you automatically think about. I think there are also others that you might not realize is also a value. If you start thinking about it, and process through how other families treat that same thing, you can begin to see it as a value.

These pictures help me see the world like Caleb does. What caught his eye, the angle he captured it, and even the placement of his subject is interesting to me.

I will always encourage the creative process. It’s a value to me. What is a value to you?

It’s important to know your values

Life is going so quickly, and I think it’s important to know your values so you can treat and honor it as one. Just because it’s important to you, doesn’t mean it is to everyone. So, to get you thinking more about what you may value, think through these questions:

  1. What makes you really happy?
  2. When are you most proud?
  3. What do you spend free time doing?

Maybe you already know what you value and what is an easy yes for you. If you do, I hope this is just an encouragement that it’s good to be YOU, even if you prioritize something others may not treat with the same weight.

If you don’t know what a unique value that you care about may be, I hope it gets you thinking.

Honoring your family values is a form of creating a connection that matters.

**If the idea of forming a deeper connection with those that matter most to you, sounds like something you would be interested in, I’d love to invite you to join my Create More Connection digital course. I will be back to tell more about it soon, but you can enroll today right here!