Creations Anew

I'd like to introduce you to a member of the Etsy HomeFront Team, Robin from Creations Anew. Please take a moment to read this wonderful interview - I hope it will move you and inspire you as it has me.


1. Please tell us a little about yourself.
I've really lived a charmed life. I was born and raised and Army Brat my father was a career soldier and my mother, sister, brother and I revolved around the military. My parents loved to site-see and living in foreign countries afforded us alot of traveling. I remember many hours in a blue Volkswagen van and then an orange one driving around Europe.

I graduated from Karlsruhe American High School in Germany and then I married a soldier and we raised a couple of Army Brats. We spent a couple of tours in Germany and had several stateside duties, from Ft Leonarwood Missouri to the Presido in San Francisco.

During those years I homeschooled my boys and taught Bible Studies. Hubby is now retired from the Army and both boys are graduated from High School. Our oldest son will be a senior at a University in Denver and our youngest son completed his freshman year and is weighing some different options.

Today, I find myself in another transition going from a military wife and motherhood to the civilian world and an empty nest. I'm looking forward to this next of my charmed life. :)


2. What is the 100 photo project?
My 100 Photo Project is really just a personal photo journey. Up until about 5 years ago I was a point and click kind of girl and with these new digital cameras "point and click" could produce a beautiful photo. They are wonderful because I didn't have to think to much about the mechanics of photography.

Earlier this year, I decided that I wanted to dig a little deeper with my art and I ran across the 100 Photo Project on line. http://onehundredphotos.blogspot.com/ There are no hard rules to follow we are encouraged to work at our own pace. The project is really about sharing and encouraging each other in our photographic journey's.

3. What is your favorite place/thing to photograph?

Well that is easy, if you've visited any of my sites you know that I love natural landscapes and florals. Things like mountains, lakes and wildflowers are on my list of favorites; they are always changing and yet ever the same.

Living in Colorado I enjoy all 4 seasons and so this year I've been shooting certain landscapes and trees in all four of the seasons; each seasonal photo has its own individual beauty and its own story.

4. What inspires you?
Other Photographers! I marvel at the things they see and their talent to capture them. By nature, 'm not artistic. I tend to see what is in front of me and obvious and forgetting to look deeper to what is really there. For instance, if I walk by a car, I see a car, other photographers see door handles, steering wheels, headlights, etc.
I've been working on training my eyes to view more than just THAT car!

5. What does the 4th of July mean to you?
I love America! I bleed Red,White and Blue. I'm so thankful to God for allowing me to be born here;to be an American. I've been blessed to have been able to travel world wide and I enjoy visiting other countries and learning about their cultures and their heritage but in the words of Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz,there is NO Place Like Home.

A few years ago, my oldest son befriended a German Foreign Exchange Student and I so enjoyed watching him view our culture. From small town football, (which is HUGE here), to American Flags waving in everyone's yard. He was mystified with our patriotic small town life; we are in the middle on no-where Colorado and yet when we say who we are, we say "We are Americans".

Last year,my youngest son went to small midwest college to play football and he enjoyed rooming with some inner city kids. When he came home, he shared with us that many of these boys did NOT identify with being Americans; their pride stemmed from which coast they come from...Truthfully, that bothered me, that somehow they had missed knowing that even with all of our issues,America really is the land of the Free and the Home of the Brave and that it's for them too.

6. Where can we find you?
I'm all over the place :)
Website: http://www.creations-anew.com/
Blog: http://www.creationsanew100photos.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CreationsAnewPhotography
Twitter: http://twitter.com/creationsanew
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/creationsanew/
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/creationsanew
1000Markets: http://www.1000markets.com/creationsanew

It's About the Journey

I'm feeling sorry for myself today. I have been training for a half marathon.  Back in my high school and college days, running was my life.  I lived to run.  Is there any simpler sport?  All you need is a pair of running shoes and you are off.   While it is amazing the amount of gear and gadgets companies sell runners these days,  I still believe that at the end of the day the run is between you and the road.  (Don't get me wrong, I have been known to indulge in the gear that makes the run a little more enjoyable and me a little more technically savvy.)

For the past few years, life has gotten in the way of  those hours of training I used to put in.  I found my running shoes getting buried deeper in the closet with each season that passed.  Oh I tried to get back into running, but after a 5 year sabbatical it was discouraging to struggle through a two mile run.  I just kept thinking back on the shape I used to be in and the miles I used to log and would get discouraged that it took so much effort to complete a two mile run. 

This past fall, I decided to try again.  I enrolled myself in several fun runs and hit the road.  The journey has been very enjoyable.  Not only have I explored the roads and trails close to my house, but I have reconnected with old friends and met new ones along the way.  My runs no longer look like that ones I took back in the day.  Today my runs are equipped with jogging strollers and diaper bags.   But that's okay, I still get satisfaction from reaching goals I have set for myself. 

That's what brings me to today.  I was to run a half marathon.  It was the goal that got me training again this spring.  And now I'm laid up with a training injury.  I  began thinking about all the training that was wasted now that I'm not able to run.  After a while I began to realize, nothing had been wasted.  Every moment I spent training I was doing something good for myself - not just for my health, but for my emotional well being as well. It was about the journey, not just about the final goal. So while I was not able to run today, I will not let it get me down.  There are other half marathons and this particular one will be ran again next year.  I will look forward to standing on that starting line, pulse racing and my nerves getting the best of me as I wonder, did I train enough? Should I have done one more long run? 

If you have never done a local fun run, I suggest you really look into it.  Even if you are not a runner, there are several people who walk the course.  Don't be afraid to take your kids - it can be a great way to meet other moms and it's an activity the whole family can enjoy.  The people you meet and the encouragement and positive atmosphere at a road race is very  uplifting.  As a bonus, many fun runs are fundraisers for good causes.  So not only are you getting out and meeting people in your neighborhood, you are doing something good for your community.  Did I mention that most runs offer a cool t-shirt to those who participate?  So get out there, hit the track, run the trails, or settle for the open road, there is nothing stopping you from reaching your goals.

If the photography in this post has inspired you, please be sure to take a moment and visit these etsy shops.  For Running Away print, please visit ArtunderCJ. Into Parts Unknown can be found at SaraTeresa in addition to other fine prints and postcards. Once you've completed your run, be sure to stop by LauraElaineDesigns to scrapbook your memories.  Visit LauraElaine's Blog for more running inspiration and motivation.