EDITOR'S NOTE: I originally published this post a few years ago on a site called 12Most.com and it was very popular. It seemed to make sense to revisit it now in my new venture, Tiny Creative House. Enjoy... Ever wonder what makes those wacky, creative types tick? How is it that some people seem to come up with all kinds of interesting, original work while the rest of us trudge along in our daily routines? Creative people are different because they operate a little differently. They: 1. Are easily bored A short attention span isn’t always a good thing, but it can indicate that the creative person has grasped one concept and is ready to go on to the next one. 2. Are willing to take risks Fearlessness is absolutely necessary for creating original work, because of the possibility of rejection. Anything new requires a bit of change, and most of us don’t care for change that much. 3. Don’t like rules Rules, to the creative person, are indeed made to be broken. They are created for us by other people, generally to control a process; the creative person needs freedom in order to work. 4. Ask “what if…” Seeing new possibilities is a little risky, because it means that something will change and some sort of action will have to be taken. Curiosity is probably the single most important trait of creative people. 5. Make lots of mistakes A photographer doesn’t just take one shot, and a composer doesn’t just write down a fully realized symphony. Creation is a long process, involving lots of boo-boos along the way. A lot goes in the trash. 6. Collaborate The hermit artist, alone in his garret, is a romantic notion but not always an accurate one. Comedians, musicians, painters, chefs all get a little better by sharing with others in their fields. 7. Are generous Truly creative people aren’t afraid to give away their hard-earned knowledge. The chef can give you the recipe because she knows you won’t make it like she does anyway. 8. Are independent Stepping off the beaten path may be scary, but creative people do it. Children actually do this very well but are eventually trained to follow the crowd. 9. Experiment Combining things that don’t normally go together can result in brilliance or a giant mess. Trial and error are necessary to the creative process. 10. Motivate themselves There does seem to be a spark that creative people share, an urgent need to make things. They are willing to run the inherent risks of doing something new in order to get a new result. 11. Work hard This is probably the most overlooked trait of creative people. People who don’t consider themselves to be creative assume that people who are creative are magical, that ideas just pop into their heads effortlessly. Experienced creative people have developed processes and discipline that make it look easy. 12. Aren’t alone The good news is that it’s possible for everyone to be creative. There are creative accountants, creative cooks, creative janitors, creative babysitters. Any profession or any hobby can be made into a creative pursuit by embracing and using creative traits. Do you consider yourself creative? (Say yes.) Finding something you’re really passionate about will help you take a chance and might just result in something wildly creative. 
Kim Phillips | Striver-in-Chief
Tiny Creative House This post was originally written for the 12 Most blog. Republished with permission, courtesy of 12Most. It made AllTop’s “Holy Kaw” list. Photo by Aaron Burden | Unsplash 
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One of the joys of living on Monteagle Mountain is the stunning amount of locally grown food ~ organic herbs and vegetables, fresh-baked bread, grass-fed meats, and eggs with yolks so deep orange you want to weep. (Okay, that may be some hyperbole but not by much.) There are farmers everywhere, and farmers markets both online and in-person. Even in January, there are local goodies for the table.
This week, I got some just-picked organic shiitake mushrooms from Jess and Nate Wilson, farmers in Monteagle. They are firm yet tender, with a subtle earthy, nutty taste. The first thing I did with them was to gently saute them with butter, yellow peppers, garlic and scallions.
If you've ever visited my OvoLactoPesco food blog, you know that I don't really measure stuff; it's a little of this, a handful of that, whatever pleases you. I don't post to that blog any more, because I'm no longer vegetarian, not even the ovo-lacto-pesco kind. (I know, I know.) So, I'll post recipes here, really "tiny" recipes because they are really more like suggestions, idea-starters for your meals. And I hope you'll a) let me know how they turn out for you and b) share "tiny recipes" of your own.
P.S. Did you miss the last Tiny Project? Click here. 
Kim Phillips | Striver-in-Chief
Tiny Creative House ©2016 Kim Phillips | Tiny Creative House 
Wintertime doesn't have to be "down time" for gardeners. If you gathered seeds from your plants at the end of the last growing season, you can share them with friends. Putting them in hand-made seed packets makes a charming gift. Making the seed packets is easy, using recycled materials and other things you have at hand.
Here's what you need for the project:
1. MAKE YOUR TEMPLATE Decide what size you want your finished seed packet to be; in this example, the packet is 2.5" x 3.5" but any size will do. On your cover stock, draw out the main body of the seed packet with a pencil, plus side flaps, bottom flap, and top flap. Save the template to re-use later. 
2. TRACE AROUND TEMPLATE ONTO PAPER
Trace around the edge of the template, then use a red pencil to angle the edges of the side flaps and bottom flap; this makes folding cleaner. draw the round-cornering on the top flap. Note: You'll want to score where the folds are before you cut out the packet; do the scoring on the outside ~ the "good side" ~ of the paper. 
3. DECORATE THE PACKET
This can be done now, or after the packet is assembled. I like to do it at this point, before cutting and gluing, because the paper lays flatter. Your decoration can be drawn, painted (if the paint doesn't buckle the paper), stamped, colored with pencils, or you can glue things to the packet. (Remember to leave a clear space where the flaps overlap.) 
4. FOLD AND GLUE
Turn the paper over to the (blank) inside, put a thin bit of glue on one of the side flaps, fold in the other flap, and press the glued flap down. Be sure that none of the glue seeps inside; this will ruin the packet. Then, glue and fold up the bottom flap. That's it ~ your seed packet is done! 
A NOTE ABOUT GLUES & ADHESIVES For paper crafts, some glues are better than others. You want glues that won't wrinkle the paper. I like the Scotch scrapbooker's glue shown here. Some glue sticks work well and don't wrinkle the paper, but the adhesion will be less strong, and you don't want your seed packet popping open! Spray adhesives are great when you need to cover a large area. Choosing the right glues and adhesives for paper crafts will be covered in more detail in a future post. 
HOW TO CLOSE YOUR SEED PACKET After you add the seeds, you can seal the packet with a dot of glue on the top flap. Or, you can get fancy and punch a hole through the closed packet and run a ribbon or twine through it; this is a nice technique if you want to tie the seed packet to another gift. WHY YOU'LL WANT TO BOOKMARK THIS POST Now that you know the way to make a seed packet, the same steps work well for making any sort of envelope. Here are some ideas:
Learn more about the humble marigold; click here. Did you miss the last Tiny Project? It's here. 
Kim Phillips | Striver-in-Chief
Tiny Creative House ©2016 Kim Phillips | Tiny Creative House
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