Michigan winters are brutal. They’re long, cold, and sometimes (a lot of times) the roads are too dangerous to drive. Working from home with two small kids, I don’t get out much during this season.

The snow and ice can be really pretty to photograph and I would love to get out there and explore, but with a toddler and a baby, it’s a struggle. (Just getting them bundled up and out the door is enough to make me want to hibernate all winter!) With that said, we hang out inside quite a bit, which means I have to find inspiration to shoot within the walls of my home. Once the cabin fever sets in, that’s not an easy task!

Next year, they’re both be big enough to do some outdoor winter adventures, but in the mean time, I have a plan for exploring creativity and reigniting it when it’s lost!

Reassess current goals + make new goals.

I started off 2019 in a funk. With every photo I took, I became more and more frustrated and hyper-critical of my work. I immediately signed up for a class on photographing my children , which then inspired me to document simple moments and connections. And from there, my intentions snowballed and I made a goal to submit more of my work in 2019! (Thanks Hello Storyteller for starting my year off!)

All of the above brought me to my quickest ‘funk’ turn around ever. As creatives, it’s so easy to get ourselves stuck in a rut- a place where we can’t create, and can’t get out of our own heads. Having been there myself, I know how hard it is to get back to doing what you love and loving what you do. Now I’m newly inspired and finding new ways to get creative almost every day!

Study the light in your home, at all different times of day.

I could study one single light in my house every few hours of the day, and at every different time, that window is going to produce entirely different light. In the morning, this window’s light is very soft, as the sun is on the opposite side of my house. At 4:30, I get golden sunset light through this same window. (Yes, 4:30 sunset. Like I said- BRUTAL!)

If you have kids, bring out the crafts!

This almost always inspires me to start taking photos. Maybe it’s the mom goggles, but I love every single thing he makes, therefore I love every single photo I take of the things he makes. Also, when I think of him remembering his childhood and looking back at photos, these are the things I want him to remember; fun winter days making art!

Explore a new technique!

In my recent ‘funk’, I was so bored with everything I was creating. And the more I started to focus on how bored I was, the more it propelled me into a cycle. A friend recommended I try some new techniques, and so I did! I started with in camera double exposures and next I’ll give free-lensing a try.

When all else fails, order a bunch of stuff you don’t need from Amazon.

They will send your items in a box large enough to house your whole family, and inspiration will ensue!