I've been thinking a lot about my childhood for reasons that I can't quite place. Maybe it's the stark contrast between no responsibilities and a lot of responsibilities. Or the idolization of a simpler time. Regardless of the reason, as adults, I think we often forget what it's like to be a kid. Stress from our jobs, responsibilities, and obligations takes center stage and forces us to focus on what we have to do rather than what we want to do. 

As a kid, aside from feeding my gerbils and cleaning my room, the one responsibility I had was to my art. I spent hours drawing, painting and writing. I did these activities not because I had to, but because my heart told me to. There were no standards to uphold or investors to please. I was making art for the sake of making art, and it was magical.

That's why I'm so thankful for the opportunity to work with Sarah of Hooked and Loopy. Sure, she's a paying client and this session needed to be professional like any other. But unlike any other session I've done, creating product images for these wildly whimsical creatures allowed me to channel my inner 12 year old... and it was AWESOME.

I literally spent more time creating the environments for these guys than I did photographing them. And you know what? That's okay. For the first time in years I found myself living in the moment, relying solely on creative juices and loving every minute of it. Throughout the entire process, I was reminded of the age-old saying do what you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life.

I'm learning to really love product photography because of all the ways it challenges me... and because of the ways it brings me joy. When I was a kid, all I needed to be happy was a pair of scissors, construction paper and some glue. Turns out, some things never change.

I'm more than a little behind on blogging... but that's okay. Life takes a lot of twists and turns, and right now I'm at one of those super twisty points. That's not to say things aren't good, though.

Life is always good when I get to spend time with fellow creatives, and that's exactly what happened this weekend. Sarah of Hooked and Loopy and I got together for a product shoot! If you don't already know, Sarah is the genius behind the crocheted animals you see above. She makes more than 70 different creatures of all sizes, ranging from adorable and petite to large and whimsical. One of my favorites is her Shakespeare doll, which will be featured in an upcoming blog post -- so stay tuned!

I also took time out of my weekend to get back into a hobby I did a lot as a kid: painting. All those twists and turns I mentioned above? They've created a lot of stress, so painting is really a way for me to get back to basics. I painted and drew nearly every day as a kid, and miss those moments of quiet, creative solitude. It's been nearly 20 years since I've picked up a brush, but I've really enjoyed experimenting and practicing techniques I remember from childhood art classes. Below are two of my most recent creations.