PAPAYA! BLOG

Express Youself

For some of us, journaling can be a intimidating; staring at that blank sheet of paper- your mind swirling with things you'd like to express. Sometimes it's hard to be honest with yourself because you fear someone might read your innermost thoughts and insecurities. You might get hung up on how your writing looks or with hoping you don't make a mistake.  Sometimes, you might feel like you just don't have anything to write about.

PaPaYa's motto of Creative Abandon has helped me break through those barriers with my own creative expression. The Creative Abandon credo of "answering only to your creative impulses" helps me in the creative process to experience the joy of creating. It's been very inspiring to be in an environment where I can witness this motto in action from artists like Anahata Katkin, Sabrina Ward Harrison, and Kathleen Rossi-Howell. So inspiring, in fact, that I have started to create my own journal.

I believe everyone is creative. Maybe you're better at writing than drawing. Maybe colors or photographs inspire you. Maybe you like to be reminded of things that make you laugh or smile. Whatever it is that inspires you, expressing it in a journal is one way to keep a record of your journey.

Here are some different types of ways you could journal:

Art Journals
For those of us who don't like to "stay inside the lines" try art journaling. For an inspiring glimpse into the world of art journals, visit Anahata Katkin's website. Anahata shares images from her art journals as well as some very thoughtful insights on the whole creative process. The Flickr group for art journals has some really beautiful collaborative images along with  interesting discussion threads to help you get started.

Gratitude Journals
RealSimple.com had their staffers keep a daily gratitude journal every day for one month. They posted a few of the results on their website (my favorite: “My babysitter, who is flexible sans crabbiness.”) and got a list of sweet, heartfelt, and funny entries that will make you smile.   DailyOm.com has a great article on gratitude journals that will help get you start your gratitude journal. 

Travel Journals
Too many times I've experienced something so wonderful during a vacation I thought there would be no way I would ever forget it. Then, the suitcase is unpacked and the sand is washed out of your shoes and pretty soon the moment is gone. Although you might seem rushed, writing down one particular scene that you love, a town's name and a quick or funny story, even a conversation will be worth your time for years to come.

Parents Journals
Keeping a journal of your child's life is priceless. As your child grows to become an adult and may become a parent themselves, those insights will become the most wonderful gift you could give. Things that may seem insignificant at the time could have a profound impact on your child. You could even find creative ways to give the tidbits of the journal to your child as they grow.

How do you use journals?

Papaya Around The World Flickr Group

(Dreambook image via: Citrus faire/flickr)

Our design team recently created a new group on  flickr called PaPaYa! around the world. We'd love to see your photos showcasing how you use our products in crafts or everyday applications, display, and all of the wonderful atmospheric places you've spotted our products around the world.

(Sewn paper envelope image via: liquidskyarts, Mini shrine via: kandeland)

(Terra Firma Store Window Display: via Papaya, & art studio via The Land of Lindsey Loo)

Designing Affordably: With "The True Living Project"

"Imagine" Giclee (above)

Sabrina ward Harrison and PaPaYa! recently teamed up to create a gift, design and stationary line called the "True Living Project".  The "True Living Project" is an experiment of life, photography, collage and sound.  Sabrina is an artist that thrives on capturing people and experiences in her touching and powerful short films.

Canvas Giclees from the True Living Project line provide great and affordable ways to decorate either your home or office.

"Free Yourself" Giclee (above) and "Home Inside" (below).

Canvas Giclees are 14w x 28h x 2d inches, and come mounted on a sturdy frame. The unique artistic design, high quality, and vibrant colors make giclees a great way to add a creative element to your room while staying within your budget.  No framing required-  Giclees arrive ready to hang. 

Sabrina arrives... in her own words.

"As you observe, as you listen, may you rest into that place where this moment, and your memory, exist."

-Sabrina Ward Harrison

Click here to view Sabrina's full product line with PaPaYa!

Inspiration: The Omo People

I believe that inspiration is something that a person actually generates from within.  The more you activate creative aspects of your life the stronger the pulse of inspiration becomes.  (I think this is one of the artist laws.) You will naturally be lit up by "ideas" and content from your surroundings in an organic way.  And really I think these ideas serve merely as special mediums for your own talent and essence.  They come from within and are abundantly reflected outside.  (and likewise when a persons essence hasn't been getting the expression it deserves it will be difficult to find meaning and inspiration in the world during that time.)

Thanks to the YouTube video circling on the internet I have had the pleasure of seeing for my first time the images from the Omo People. A collection of tribes in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia.  They say their incredible body art is purely spontaneous and for their own pleasure and experimentation!  Just Incredible. To me these beautiful people are a pure example of raw talent and proof that inspiration is generated from within.  All their materials come of course from their surroundings and their decorations and persona change each time.  

There is a book featuring the photographs of Hans Silvester.  Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa.  His photo's where taken over a span of six years in the Omo Valley.  Incredibly inspiring images and talented, beautiful people.   These faces have inspired me to finish a painting I've been sitting on for three years.  I think I finally have the right inspiration for a portrait style overlay.  I'll share the process!  

Wellness and Aura-Soma

This week at Papaya we are kicking off our new employee wellness program.  There's one feature that team PaPaYa has seemed to be the most excited about.  We will all be receiving regular massages from the very gifted and talented Mariette Ravet.  In addition to massages Mariette also does energy work.  I felt inspired to talk about her energy work and the very colorful Aura-Soma bottles she uses.

At PaPaYa! we love color! As you can see Aura-Soma provides a great spectrum of therapeutic color. Aura-Soma philosophy is based around concepts of "you are the colors that you choose".  Very fitting for a bunch of color-loving renegades.

I have had sessions with Mariette before where we work with the bottles.  I'm not great at describing exactly sure how they work.  What I can tell you is that whether it was the bottles, Mariette, or a combination of the two,  I had an amazing, and enlightened experience of self awareness.

Not to mention they look great while being back lit on their stand don't they.

Pretty Papers

We love hearing from our readers. Especially when they share the creative things they're doing with our products. We recently received an email from a reader about PaPaYa's fine paper wrap. "Things are a little tight right now but I still love decorating. I ordered sheets your wrapping paper (Miss Fishy for the girls room and the Owl Collage for my son) and framed them in my kids' room. The total cost  after frames was only about $20." We love it!

I recently found a photo on our Flickr group from a fan who covered a magnetic board with the woodland forest paper. So cute!

One of Kathleen's friends wallpapered his bathroom with Birds & Flowers Green Wrapping Paper (a la Adelphi Paper Hangings) and we're told it looks great. Hopefully we can scrounge up a photo to share with you.

For an "outside the box" way to wrap, try wrapping different shapes and containers, or things like books and bulletin boards.

As with our paper products, our fine paper wrap is made from recycled materials.

Do you create amazing things with paper? We'd love to hear your ideas! You can upload cool photos on our Flickr group, PaPaYa! Around the World or email us at blog@papayaart.com.

Product Spotlight: Papaya Address Books

It's a continual treasure hunt finding ways to brighten up our days.  Sometimes that means waking up to breakfast in bed, followed by sketching ideas of your latest and greatest design scheme in your sketch journal, and then when you go to log in to your blog to get that latest dream out, you reach into your scrumptious Papaya Luxe Tote, and fish around for your.... where is it... ahh! There it is!

The Papaya Address Book!

It's a small reminder of how beautiful our lives can be.

We have two versions, My Peeps, and a "Love Letters" version. My Peeps borrows design themes from the immensely popular card, Victorian Bird. It's spine is wire bound, allowing it to lay open as you record the scrawl down the name and address of your new pen pal. This address book measures 5" by 7.5", and is about 3/4 of an inch thick.

The "Love Letters" version uses the same artwork as our Glittered Monogram Love Letters, and becomes a very purse-able companion.  Both of them have pockets in the back to catch business cards, love notes, poems and fall leaves. This address book measures 3.5" by 5.75", and is about 1/2 an inch thick.

Each book has a couple more pages for the letters we use more often, and a few less for the less used letters.

There are pages to store the innumerable passwords we seem to accumulate these days, pages for general notes, and a page for our personal information.

The elastic strap on each address book keeps the book's pages together in the bottom of our cavernous totes.

Enjoy!

Recently I stumbled onto the most beautiful visual coincidence.

I've been dreaming up new ideas for photo shoots with Anahata for future Papaya Catalogs, wanting to stylize live models into visual mirrors of Anahata's Bohemian ladies. So, when I saw these headdresses from the Plumed Serpent (via the fabulous blog of Miss Lindsey Loo), the visions that had been floating in my head really began to spring to life.

The model looks so much like the face in Ana's Collage "bonnet", that I was (even further) blown away by the utter Kismet!  To learn more about Daniella's artfully crafted headdresses, take a visit to her blog The Plumed Serpent.

 

(Images via magenta fabulous on etsy)

PaPaYa! Tour: Eli's digs

   

PaPaYa! has been in its new home for a few months now. I get the feeling we are all starting to get more comfortable in our new spaces. As I have started to grow into my space I thought I would share a few quick shots.  Featured in the pic above is my "Be Happy" therapeutic candle I got at this years NYIGF.  Its from a great UK based company that has some fun gift ideas called  Gift Republic.

I would like to be able to attribute the selection of this contemporary piece to my astute design sense.  Unfortunately thats not the case. During our move, the second story mezzanine felt more like a furniture store than a place to stash old boxes. It was flush with newly homeless furniture pieces.  So I totally took advantage of that.

BTW How cool is that plant!! Hopefully I don't kill it I tend to have a bit of a brown thumb.  I know I just said BTW, is that so 2008? 

 

I love this picture.  I think it has a really warm and inviting color pallet.  It makes we want to get in the office, loose my jacket, roll up my sleeves and get to work.

I think this is my favorite picture.  This is the birds eye view of the ottoman  rug combo.