Welcome to hpcreate!

We love that you're passionate about so many things and we want to find out what it is you have to say about them. Whether it's what you're creating this month, your career path, or what you put on the table during a dinner party, we want to hear all about it.

Additionally, we want to reward you for sharing your creative inspiration with the rest of us. Each week we'll have a contest that directly relates to the theme of that week. Monday – Thursday we'll provide questions and contest teasers geared towards getting you thinking about the theme. Then, each Friday, we'll ask a question that only you can answer based on your unique perspective on everything from photography to entertainment to life goals and dreams.

As your host, I will then choose four answers based on originality and inspiration which I'll post so that you, the community, can vote on a winner. Just by contributing in the comments, you'll have the chance to win everything from plane tickets to a digital camera!

Want more information about the community and weekly themes? Check out the profile. And then come back every day and let us know what you're creating.

What Do You Have to Say?
-hpandicreate

Alas, it is once again time to draw this community to a close. There have been good times and better times. Even a few great times, if I do say so. And I have all of you, who have taken the time to read and participate, to thank.

I am, as always, so very grateful to have gotten to know each and every one of you. To those who have been veterens of this community for multiple revivals, it has once again been wonderful learning more about you. To those who have newly stumbled upon us, it has been fantastic to see your input making this community even more varied and creative.

And who knows what the future will bring? Perhaps this is not a farewell, but simply a "goodbye for now". You may want to keep an eye on this community over the next few weeks and months -- just in case.

For now, I will leave you all with one last chance to make your voices heard: what exactly is it, do you think, that affects and molds creativity and inspiration? I'm curious what it is that has made you all into the people you are today.

PS: There have been a few inquiries about whether I will continue to blog. The answer is yes, but that this is not my main LiveJournal account. If you'd like to know who I am, you may feel free to contact me via private message and I will be happy to share.)

To begin, I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the people who took the time to participate in one or more of these weekly contests. Your participation now and in the past has been what makes this community -- your creativity, your thoughts, and your expressions are, and always have been, amazing.

I would like to take a few moments to showcase some of the awesome entries that were submitted for each week before announcing the winners, though I can see by the comments in all of these entries that many of you have already beat me to the admiration :) In order of week (but not necessarily submission):

Week 6 -- Relationships
yenniemonster's entry here
stupidmuse_hate's entry here
phantascene's entry here

Week 7 -- Food
shaze's entry here
claire's entry here (I've been wanting to highlight something of hers for a while now -- I loves me a user who can make me giggle!)
serenityblue's entry here

Week 8 -- Career
yenniemonster's entry here

Week 9 -- Inspiration & Creativity
mirandawitch's entry here
cooling1018's entry here
shaze's entry here

And the following users can consider themselves winners! In order of the week, again:

*styxylplyx (here)
*dancingmemories (here)
*serenityblue (here)
*yenniemonster (here)

Congratulations to all four of you on your well-earned prizes! I hope that everyone will at least take the time to read these four wonderful submissions!

Well, the final week of this community was supposed to be themed inspiration & creativity. We can do that for a day or two!

For those of you who are anxiously awaiting the prizes for the four contests, never fear; they'll be up tomorrow (which is, alas, our very last day together).

For today, let's have everyone share their most recent creative accomplishment! Also, if you have any tips to jump-start inspiration or creativity, I'd love to hear those too :)

This is the second (and last) day of quotes from a movie about work. Tomorrow we'll be on to our final mini-contest theme -- inspiration and creativity!

For today's movie, I will let on that it was kind of hard to find moderately inoffensive quotes. Of course, that's definitely a "hint" :)

Quotes:
"I'm offering you my body and you're offering me semantics."

"I'm not even supposed to be here today!"

"Hold it! Let's see some credentials. SLOWLY. You're a Chewley's Gum Representative? And you're what? Stirring up all this anti-smoking sentiment to sell more gum? GET OUT OF HERE! And you people, don't you have jobs to go to? Get out of here, go commute! Bunch of easily-led automatons. Try thinking for yourselves before you pelt an innocent man with cigarettes!"

Congratulations to the majority of you, who guessed that the movie is Clerks! (And I definitely see how this one could come off as Thank You For Smoking...

For today and tomorrow, I'm going to be providing quotes from a movie about a person or people who are at work (since the theme was supposed to be career and all!) You guys get to tell me which movie it is :D

Today's quotes:
"I sit in a cubicle and I update bank software for the 2000 switch."

"Oh, and remember: next Friday... is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans."

"And I said, I don't care if they lay me off either, because I told, I told Bill that if they move my desk one more time, then, then I'm, I'm quitting, I'm going to quit. And, and I told Don too, because they've moved my desk four times already this year, and I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were married, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll set the building on fire... "

You guys all nailed it with Office Space :)

Another recipe. For the record, I totally didn't make this one up (though I've tried it in the past and holy-yum):

Ingredients
1 Fuji or other firm apple
1 cup diced, cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tbsp. chopped green pepper
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. chopped pimiento
Pinch of rosemary, crushed
Dash of lemon pepper
Salt
Lettuce

I'm sad that no one participated today :( But here are the instructions!
1. Core and slice apple. Chop about 1/2 cup and combine with remaining ingredients except lettuce and sprouts.

2. On a lettuce-lined plate, arrange remaining apple slices; top with chicken salad. Makes 2 servings.

Today and tomorrow I'll be posting the ingredients for a somewhat seasonal recipe in the morning -- but no instructions. You guys tell me what I'm making during the day, and in the evening I will confirm or deny by posting the recipe's instructions :)

Today's recipe:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 3 9-inch pans.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Add eggs and vegetable oil and mix well.
Add carrots and pecans.
Pour into pans and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting.
**

8 ounces cream cheese (1 package)
8 Tablespoons butter (1 stick)
16 ounces powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients except nuts and beat until fluffy. Stir in nuts. Frost cake.

Today is going to be the last day that there are relationship clues (so's we can have a smattering of the other mini-contests, you see). I hope to find a consensus when I check my email this evening... ;)

Today's clues
1. This story was written by a female author and has not (to my admittedly limited) knowledge been adapted into a blockbuster movie.
2. A spin-off story was later written about a character whose very existance initially prevents our romance from moving forward. (Don't click the link if you want to keep the clue harder)
( The real give-away clues )

You guys are awesome and totally got it -- Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester!

Please, to all of my faithful readers and participants out there, get your entries in for at least your chosen of the four remaining contests. We have prizes we're dying to give away, but we can't do it if we have no entries!

Finally, the post tonight will almost certainly be a touch late since I'll be spending the day playing Airport Happy Fun Time on my way to Boston! Please try not to envy me too terribly much. For anyone who is for some reason interested, I'll be in Boston (theoretically for a conference, but really) from Saturday through next Sunday.

Week 9: For Week 9, I would like you to share exactly what it is that inspires you to create (and perhaps share a creative accomplishment)!

The prize for this week is an HP printer/scanner!

Week 8: For Week 8, I would like you to share an encouraging career story -- whether it's something that you're proud of, or a tough decision that you had to make!.

The prize for this week is a Timbuk2 messenger bag!

Week 7: For Week 7, I would like you to post your favorite spring recipes, along with a success story of a time that you've served it!.

The prize for this week is a Harry & David gift basket!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have News. It is both good and bad News.

I'll start with the bad: For reasons that are outside of my control, this community will be ending about a week and a half early. Our final day together will be on April 18, a week from today.

But here's the good news: Today, I'm going to put up all four of the remaining contests tonight in order to ensure the fulfillment of all the promised prizes. The deadline will be the same -- you'll have between now and Sunday night at 10:00pm PST. The rest of the days for this community will be an abbreviated version of the daily mini-contests we would have ordinarily had.

Here's how it's going to work: I'll make a seperate post for each of the remaining four contests. You guys can enter all or one or none of them -- it's all up to you. Just make sure to put your entry on the right post, okay?

So, here goes...

Week 6: For Week 6, I would like you to share stories (and media if appropriate!) about how creativity has improved a relationship!.

The prize for this week is a Discover gift card!

Okay... you guys have got me :) I've been gunning for The Princess Bride -- seriously, one of my favorites!

I'm going to start us on a new romance, but please be forewarned -- there's some change on the wind for this community that may shake things up a bit. I'll announce more as soon as I have the details, okay?

Today's clue
1. This story was written by a female author and has not (to my admittedly limited) knowledge been adapted into a blockbuster movie.

There is some great discussion... :) If you guys can all agree on an answer in the next day or two, I can totally come up with a new relationship for the rest of the week. But I demand consensus! (Or at least a majority).

1. For this couple, there was only one true love. Tragedy couldn't change that.
2. This story was originally written as a book, and was later adapted into a movie. The book was written in the twentieth century.

Today's clue!
3. Thar be swordplay in this story, among other forms of excitement!

This week's contest inspired some touching, beautiful entries. I'd like to share some of the ones that really stood out, if I may:

phuck_may's entry here
phantascene's entry here
nnaylime's entry here

And if you really want anoter really good (but long!) read, try cooling1018s entry here! :)

But none of these entries is this week's winner, you see. That's because this week's winner is (after a number of entries to prior contests and spotlights as a runner-up!) plaidoe77, with her entry here! I encourage everyone to check it out and share in the congratulations!

I see a ton of really, really good guesses in the comments for yesterday's clue. I'll keep copying and pasting the list to help you all keep track, okay?

1. For this couple, there was only one true love. Tragedy couldn't change that.

Today's clue!
2. This story was originally written as a book, and was later adapted into a movie. The book was written in the twentieth century.

I'm so excited about this week. I love love stories (seriously, I have archives of fairy tales at home), so it was a great treat to get to pick one for this community. It's one of my favorites!

Today's clue!
1. For this couple, there was only one true love. Tragedy couldn't change that.

Good luck :)

Theme: Relationships
Daily contest: Stories and inspiration. Every day I'll give a clue or two that will lead to a famous love story. Your job is to guess which love story it is before Sunday!
Weekly contest: You will be posting stories (and pictures or other media, if appropriate) about how creativity has improved your relationships.
Prize to get excited about: A Discover gift card!

I hope you have all enjoyed this week as much as I have enjoyed making the content! Only one day left to get your own song lists in :)

My list
Who Let the Dogs Out by The Baha Men
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
Mickey by Toni Basil
Take On Me by Aha
Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot
We're not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister
Cannon in D by Johann Pachelbel*

*I will be so impressed if anyone who comes up with the list's theme can tell me why I included this song. We're talking, like a million bonus geek points here. ;)

The theme for today was "One hit wonders"! For those who are wondering why Cannon in D was included, you can find the answer in this video. One of my favorites!

I hope that those who have not yet entered this week's contest are diligently working on their lists. The entries that have been submitted so far are wonderful! Way to make the judges' jobs harder, guys... ;D

Today's list!
One Week by Barenaked Ladies
My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion
Paralyzer by Finger Eleven
Rock Star by Nickelback
Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams
Fat Lip by Sum 41
Sk8ter Boi by Avril Lavigne

You guys are SO good. The songs are all by Canadian artists!