Hannah's Happenings

  Over the years, I have experimented with different apps and photo editing platforms and have collected my top 5 go-to tools . These apps and websites have made it easy, simple, and customizable to transform my social media platforms and designs to be cohesive. In this short blog post, I will list each app and website and give an example of why I recommend them. Each one is free and user-friendly! 1. Lightroom (Adobe) Lightroom (by Adobe) is my #1 go-to editing app for photography! It is easy to use and professional for both beginner and advanced photographers. Using Lightroom for social media posts or professional photography, I found that the mobile app is versatile and easy to copy and paste presets I have made throughout the years. I highly recommend Lightroom for a creative and cohesive editing tool. 2. Unsplash I have used Unsplash for a few years, collecting FREE stock photos for social media graphics, presentations, and college assignments. The down...

Time is a gift... We have all heard that saying, and honestly, the older I get, the more I believe it to be true. My time can be spread so thin one day and be empty the next. The concept of how I use my time can ultimately lead to anxiety and stress.    I cannot even begin to tell you all the things I want to do. I have a list in the notes section of my phone with ideas for potential journal/book titles, business concepts, and even painting ideas. My mind circles around the thought of,  when will it ever get done?   I get wrapped up in the idea that I must create things by a specific time, or the value of its beauty will not mean as much. As if the creativity or the idea behind it will vanish if I do not seize the opportunity in that exact moment.   With t hat said, I pray that I can use my time and the skills God has blessed me with to pursue these tasks, goals, and achievements. It will just take time. I believe that the one thing that has ...

  Unpopular opinion: Pinterest is one of the superior social media platforms.   I have far too many pins to count and have grown a flourishing collection of aesthetic images and cute outfits. On Pinterest is where I find both faith-based and generic quotes. I like to save these pins to a specific board so that one day I can go back and make it my phone lock-screen or write them in my calligraphy style. Often enough, quotes will stand out to me. In this case, I have heard this quote from multiple different platforms, and every single time I see it, I ask myself the question:  When was the last time you did something for the first time? I have had a lot going on in my life the last month; things I would never like to experience again and situations that made me strong. During that time, I realized my anxiety about focusing on the future. I have struggled with this since my senior year of high school, and I think this battle never really went away. Over the last six m...

2022 = Kindness “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 ESV Since my senior year of high school, I have chosen a word for the year. That word would be my set goal or my  New Year's Resolution . Ultimately it would reflect how I want to grow as an individual and a Christian for that upcoming year.  Kindness came to mind over the last month in how I treat others and myself. I have been told that I am very kind, yet I notice that I am rarely kind toward myself. I strive to put others first, and as a result, I have become a people-pleaser over the years. With that said, God placed the word  kindness  on my heart. It is to act as a reminder to put others before me, and it is to also work on how I treat myself. Going into a new year, 2022, I have new responsibilities, challenges, adventures, and business goals ahead of me. I want to use this year to put God first in all I do. And to be kind toward everyon...

  2 0 2 1 My word for the year was Unashamed. Every year I find that my word doesn’t “fit” what’s going on. Unashamed was chosen in hopes that I would proclaim Jesus with no fear or shame of what others thought. While that was my focal point, I also learned how to be unashamed of who I am, and who God created me to be. At the beginning of the year I struggled with mental health and my physical appearance. With that said, I focused on Jesus, my family, education, and work more than ever before; All while seeking to be unashamed in ALL areas of my life. This brought me closer to others and allowed me to find strength in the Lord, rather than the empty burdens I was carrying. 2021 was a year of growth. There were a lot of burnout moments, but with those moments came joy! God has blessed me with a year I can look back on and find contentment rather than shame, as I have experienced in years past. With that, I am forever grateful. I still have a lot of work ahead of me, an...

Over the years, I have called myself an artist. However, I think the term  creative  fits me best. With that said, I have been creating for my entire life, and it was not until 2016 where I pursued a passion for art. This month, December 2021, marks  five  years of creating what is now HJPdesignsco, my art business. Five years ago, I decided to share my art journey on social media platforms. It opened the doors for my newfound love for seascape paintings and digital illustrations. In December of 2016, I created my first “real” painting. The artwork that kickstarted what I paint today: My rough version of Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh.  My first painting: December 2016 I have always viewed myself as a creative individual or a jack of all trades but a master of none. Yet, as the years go by, I believe I can develop into an artist that reflects my personality and what inspires me; God’s creation. Without a doubt, I have seen growth through my ...

Let’s talk about motivation. It is something we all need, yet it is something very few of us possess daily. If you are like me, you find motivation in very few places at very odd times. One moment I can be binge-watching my favorite TV series on the couch, and the next, I am writing a ten-page paper in less than two hours. Or better yet, my motivation may come in spurts after a large cup of iced coffee. Nevertheless, motivation (or lack thereof) comes and goes in many forms for each one of us. Deadlines may creep up on you when you least expect it, or maybe the idea of procrastinating a task drives you crazy, yet you still do not do what needs to get done. – I’ve been there, I’ve done that! For me, being an online college student requires a lot of self-motivation. It is on me if I do not work on my assignments before they are due. It is on me if I do poorly and receive a low grade. The same concept goes for my art business; the idea of being inconsistent or not good enough li...