Mai Autumn

february photos

i've been completely loving this photo a day habit this year! this new addition to my routine has done a few wonderful things so far - a) i've been oh so much more aware of the little details of life, (which has been adding to my artwork in great ways!) and b) needing to find things to photograph has made me revive hobbies that refresh me and help get me unblocked whenever i'm feeling less creative. i really think artists of any kind need to have hobbies outside of their chosen craft in order to keep those creative juices flowing and keep the mind from getting stale. between photography, decorating, baking, and, hopefully soon, gardening, i'm starting to feel a balance i haven't felt in years. check out my latest shots...

speaking of getting unblocked, i also just got the greatest book! danielle krysa (aka the jealous curator) just released her new book, creative block, and it is full of a wealth of info for artists on staying inspired and dealing with the demons that come with being of the creative mindset. i flipped through it for hours last night and it really got me inspired - i can tell this is going to be a great tool whenever i'm feeling stuck!

and my last note is a little sneak peek at something i'm working on right now. i've started to design a line of one of a kind and limited edition pillows made from vintage fabrics and trims! here is the first as a little teaser for what's in store. 

you can pick this one up here!

it's FINALLY supposed to warm up here in new jersey this weekend (if you can call 50 degrees warm haha) so hopefully i'll get to go out and about to enjoy a little sunshine (and take some more pictures!)

(and p.s. - you can follow along with all my project365 pics on my instagram @christinealindstrom or on flickr too)

project 365 ... again

i've attempted project 365 about three times since 2008. i usually get to the warmer days and abandon the project (probably because i start having too much fun outside, instead of sitting in here staring at all the teeny pieces of my life for hours at a time.....) but any way, here are some shots i've been capturing in the first few days. follow me on instagram for the daily photos @christinealindstrom

(i'm particularly enjoying photographing my breakfast...also a new habit i've picked up has been actually *eating* breakfast) (and the recipe for that first photo is here. i swapped out the persimmon for peaches though - yum!).

sometimes it feels a little bit like my life lacks a solid ground since i have no set schedule or any kind of guildlines, and it helps to have a routine so i don't lose track of the days that i might be in my studio or working on my computer endlessly. so this is my way of stopping and smelling the roses, or the quinoa, in my case :)

i've also discovered the vsco cam app, and that has been very fun to learn and play with all the cool features, right from my phone. while i'm on the subject of the phone - that's one of my guidelines - all these pictures will be taken with my iphone! after getting into the discussion with a few of my friends about the quality of the images the iphone takes, i got curious enough to start putting it to the test. i've lost some of the magic of documenting my life through photos because i always thought of the iphone camera as sort of a quick snapshot kind of camera, not a legitimate tool for photography. it's also becoming less and less common to carry around an actual compact digital camera these days. think about the last time you were out with your friends and you went to take a snapshot of your evening. did the thought of pulling out your canon powershot even cross your mind? probably not. maybe we still have our digital cameras for special occasions, or for planned days of photo fun, but when you're out there living life, it's not exactly as quick as the rest of our lives have become.

so, i'm attempting to meet myself somewhere in the middle - slow down and take a photo a day, but at the same time catch up with the pace of my digital, social networking, crazy little world.

on a side note - don't forget to check out my shop site to get 40% off all weekend with code FLOWER if you're feeling the need to shop before (or during) the big game on sunday. :)

i'm off to take more photos! see you soon :)